


Bacha bāzī - dancing boys

by dont_hate_me01



Category: SEAL Team (TV)
Genre: Cameo appearances by NCIS Agents Gibbs and McGee, Community: smallfandombang, Conversations with your dead best friend, Drug Addiction, Gen, Language, Minor Character Death, Night Terrors, Not a death fic, Sexual Assault, Sexual Slavery, Tortute, Violence, Violent flashbacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-01-07 12:13:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 22
Words: 112,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18410414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dont_hate_me01/pseuds/dont_hate_me01
Summary: Never before has Bravo Team accept a rookie and such a young one into their Tier One DEVGRU SEAL Team. That’s until Clay Spenser comes through the ranks of Green Team. He is over confident – even cocky, has a chip on his shoulder, and regarded as Special Ops Royalty.But he also has talent, is loyal and not scared to get into the thick of things to get the job done. He asks questions, never takes no for an answer, and keeps them all on their toes.While deployed in Afghanistan, Clay catches the eye of a man they had no knowledge of. A man who forms part of the Bacha bāzī syndicate.When Clay gets taken, they are in a war-stricken country and have no idea on where to look for him. Every lead they get turns into nothing, until they finally get a break. Now, they have to get their brother back and deal with those who took him from them. Bloodshed will happen and they didn’t give a damn.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Author Notes:**
> 
> When I first saw the entry over on LJ for the Small Fandoms Bang, I knew I had to take part. It wasn’t even a hard decision for which fandom I would write – SEAL Team.
> 
> I had to think of a story, and that’s where the idea started and it grew. It grew into something huge, and became the longest story I’ve written up to date.
> 
> It wasn’t all smooth sailing, as my memory stick on which I saved the story, crashed, and I lost 62 000 words. After panicking, obtaining recovery software, and taking the memory stick to a data recovering company, I got 47 000 words back. It meant I had to rewrite 17 000 words, and then continue from there to finish the story. I wanted to give up. But I didn’t.
> 
> I need to say thank you to an amazing group of friends over on LJ, who came together to help edit this massive story. They got it into shape and all remaining errors in this story belongs to me. (That includes all the medical inconstancies and how things work in the Navy).
> 
> What makes them more special, is the fact that they are all NCIS fandom girls. It didn’t stop them from rallying around me and help me out! To [ami_ven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ami_ven), [cutsycat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cutsycat), [Jacie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jacie), and [jane_x80](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jane_x80) – THANK YOU! Without you, this wouldn’t have seen the light.
> 
> A huge thank you to my artist, [Knowmefirst](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Knowmefirst) for the wonderful cover art created for this story! Here is the link to the art, [**AO3**](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18642034) head over and leave some kudos!
> 
> Lastly, to the mods of **Smallfandombang** over on LJ, thank you for hosting this challenge!
> 
> Please note, this story takes place in Season 1, all references made to things that happened in season 2 are due to YouTube and the clips I could find on there.

**Chapter 1**

**Joint Expeditionary Base–Little Creek**

**11 Months earlier**

“You know he would fit right in, Jason.” Ray Perry looked at his team leader as they watched the hopeful candidates run past them on the obstacle course.

Jason Hayes shrugged. “He’s too arrogant.”

“And what’s wrong with that?” Ray shook his head. “Just because his old man is a jerk, doesn’t mean he is.”

“Ash Spenser is more than a jerk, Ray.” As the man they discussed ran past, Jason stared down at his tactical watch. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was impressed. The kid was in great shape.

“That’s true,” Ray tried again. “But don’t take your preconceptions out on the kid, Jason. That’s not fair.”

“He’s not a team player.”

Ray sighed. “He wasn’t one, but something happened and he shaped up. From being in the bottom five to now, he really worked on his attitude, you know that. Give him a chance.”

Jason watched at the rest of the Green team as they continued to run pass. “No.”

Ray managed not to growl. Arguing with Jason wouldn’t help. “You sure it’s not because he’s Ash’s kid?” He never did get all of the details of what happened between Jason and Ash Spenser.

Jason turned so quickly that he was a mere blur. He pinned his second in command and best friend against a tree. “You do not want to go there.” He bared his teeth.

Ray cocked his head, but, he did not back down. “We’ve all seen his files, seen his scores. He’s up there with you. Hell, he’d already broke some of your records. Do you really want to let that kid end up with Charlie team? Beau wouldn’t not have his best interest at heart. He’d only use him, Jason. He would let that kid burn out within the first year and that’d be it. Give him a chance.”

Jason released the hold he had on his friend and bowed his head. “Let him get through advance SERE and kill-house training and we’ll talk again.”

Ray grinned and nodded. He turned and watch the squad of men run past them again. They were all starting to fade rapidly. Clay Spenser still led the group.

Jason started to walk away but then turned. “Ray?”

“Yes, Boss?”

“Make sure we’ve got eyes on him the whole time.”

“Already done.”

He should’ve known Ray would’ve seen to that already. He pushed his hands in his pockets and walked towards the command center. He had some hard thinking to do, including thinking about a young, cocky-ass kid by the name of Clay Spenser.

Jason would be the first to admit that he hated Ash Spenser. The man didn’t deserve to be called a SEAL. Spenser had sold out his unit and his team. Now he’s making money from a book that he had no right to share with the world.

As Jason entered the building, the phone in his pocket buzzed. He pulled the phone out and checked the text on the screen. They had a mission. It was time for action.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Joint Expeditionary Base–Little Creek**

**10 Months earlier**

Sonny Quinn looked over the shoulder of their medic, Trent, as the two of them read a file they were not supposed to have access to, but did. Their other teammate, Brock sat next to them and played with their K9 partner, Cerberus. They were in their holding room, waiting for their team leader and second in command.

“Darn.” Sonny pointed to the file. “He runs too hot.”

Trent hummed. He’d seen that as well and it was a reason of concern.

“What’s his average temp?” Brock inquired.

“100.4.”

“Shit, that’s higher than Jason.”

“Mm,” Trent hummed in agreement. He didn’t like it one bit. It didn’t seem to affect the kid at all. He knew medical kept a close eye on Spenser as well. “Here’s a fun bit of information for you as well. His temp went up the past two weeks and he’s been averaging at 100.6.”

“He getting ill?” Sonny asked with a scowl. He didn’t know the kid well, but there was something about the blue-eyed pinup boy that made him want to make sure the youngster was okay.

Trent shook his head. “According to medical, no. He’s not showing any other symptoms, except the elevated temp.”

“You don’t seem convinced.” Brock turned to face his friend.

Trent snorted. “I’m not.”

“What are you going to do?”

Trent grinned. “Already spoke to Jase. Got him to get the kid to see Doc. He’s got an appointment for later this afternoon.”

Sonny wanted to reply, but then the air horn sounded and all three Bravo team members jumped to their feet. “What the fuck?”

They moved to the door when it opened.

“What’s going on?” Brock asked as Jason and Ray filled the doorway.

“Parachute accident,” Jason replied, tensed.

Sonny frowned. “The kid?”

“Safely on the ground. But still no word on whose parachute didn’t deploy.” Jason sat down and indicated to his team to do the same. “We need to talk.”

Sonny glanced at Brock and Trent before he sat down again. “It wasn’t us.”

Ray smiled and shook his head. “Told you it wasn’t them, Boss.”

Jason glanced at his team, his family, and smiled. “I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about. No one told me anything about itching powder ending up in the gear of Charlie team.”

“Indeed.” Sonny leaned back in his chair. “What did you want to talk about, Boss?”

Jason took a deep breath. “Advance SERE training is next week.”

“We’re picking the kid?” Sonny grinned.

“You want him?” Jason studied the men before him.

“Hell yeah,” Trent and Brock answered at the same time while Sonny hummed in agreement.

Jason didn’t need to look at Ray to know what his second in command wanted. “If he passes the last training, we’ll go in and liberate him at the camp, if we’re around.”

“We’re not going to be here?” Sonny frowned. He was under the impression that they were on standby until after the advance SERE training was completed.

“Might be something that cannot be placed on hold. We’ll know more later.” Jason’s phone rang on the table next to him, and he picked it up. He blanched when he saw the name on the caller ID.

“It’s Seaver.”

“Fuck.” Ray got to his feet the same time as Jason. They all listened as Jason answered the call. It didn’t last long.

“Clay’s going to be devastated.” Ray focused on Jason. The team leader had gone quiet. “Jason?”

Jason nodded. “His teammates will keep an eye on him for now.”

“I’ll make sure we do too.”

“Good, Ray.” Jason took a deep breath. “We’ve been idle for far too long. A new group of SEALs for Green team got dropped off a few hours ago, let’s go and show them how it’s done.” He didn’t wait for his team, but made his way over to his individual cage to change clothes. His team followed suit.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**C-17: On route back from China (Somewhere over Kuwait)**

**9 Months earlier**

“He looks younger than twenty-seven.” Ray looked at where Clay slept in his hammock. It was clear the rookie on their team was out for the count.

“He looks like a damn college student.” Jason folded his arms across his chest. “He did good.”

Ray slapped him on the shoulder. “Told you he would.” He grinned from ear to ear. “He’s a good fit, Jase. Still a bit wet behind the ears, but we’ll get that sorted out quickly enough.”

Jason snorted. “Only wet behind the ears because it’s the first time he’d officially run with us. I still can’t believe he’d seen action before; led teams before.”

“He’s going to be one of the best SEALs out there.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Jason glanced at his watch. “We’ll land in a couple of hours. Already cleared it with Eric. We’ll be home for the next two weeks at least.”

“Excellent. We need time as a team.” Ray grimaced at his words. Things were not good between Jason and Alana. It would be difficult for them to bond with the added tension.

Jason ran his hand across his face, but didn’t respond.

“He needs time to grieve.” Ray shrugged. Seaver told them that Clay had shut down after Brian’s death. He knew some assholes had placed bets that Clay wouldn’t pass the advanced SERE and kill-house training, but he did. All of the instructors were impressed. The other positive thing that happened was that his elevated temperature came down to his normal average.

Jason glanced at Ray. “Have you spoken to Clay about Brian?”

Ray frowned. “Not really, there wasn’t any time.” He watched his best friend. “What’s bothering you?”

“Something that I couldn’t place my finger on until now.” Jason turned and walked away from the rest of the sleeping team. He knew Ray would follow him.

“What’s going on, Jason?”

“I know the kid’s been getting a lot of flak for being Ash’s kid, but there’s something more than that.” Jason paced the area in which they stood. “I spoke to Adam and some of the other instructors. Clay struggles to be a team player.” Jason held up his hand before Ray could object. “I’m the first to say that he’s doing his best. But you have to agree with me, it’s like he doesn’t know what a team is. He’s got no idea that we’re family; that we’ll be there for one another any time of the day or night.”

“What are you getting at, Jase?” Ray asked with a frown.

Jason growled as he uttered the word. “Ash.”

“I don’t understand?”

“Ash Spenser hates the Navy, he hates the SEALs. He might be all smiles and talk about the good old days when he promotes his fucking book, but that’s to make money and nothing else. On the inside, he would do anything in his power to fuck with us.”

“To the detriment of his own son?”

“His son that he didn’t raise.” Jason folded his arms across his chest. “Clay’s mother died when he was a toddler. Her parents raised him and they were missionaries in West Africa. He grew up in Liberia. Hell, where do you think he picked up on all the languages he’s so fluent in?”

“Ash never showed any interest in Clay and saw him about once a year as far as I know. That was until Clay’s grandparents died in a freak accident when he was sixteen and he got shipped back home to Ash. Then Ash didn’t have a choice. He had to acknowledge that the kid was alive. They never had any sort of parent-child relationship that they were supposed to have until his son joined the Navy and decided to become a SEAL.”

“Wait?” Ray held up his hand. “How do you know all of this?” Ash wouldn’t have shared this information with Jason.

“Asked around.” Jason peeked over to where he could see Clay’s hammock from the side and frowned. “Do you hear that?” He heard the whimper for a second time.

Ray nodded and both men walked towards the hammocks. They came to a halt at Clay’s hammock. The young man was sprawled out on his back, but by the sounds and grimace on his face, it was clear that he was having a nightmare. Ray reached out, placed his hand on Clay’s head. The kid immediately settled down again, but Ray could feel the heat radiate from Clay’s body. “His temperature is up again.”

“What?” Jason reached out and felt Clay’s forehead. “Damn.” Jason sighed. “Trent.” He called out to their teammate.

The single word had their medic up and he swung his legs from his hammock.

“Problem?”

“The kid. His temperature is up. And it’s high.”

Trent sighed. “Damn.” He walked over to where his pack was stashed against the side. Luckily, he’d stocked up on some of the meds he knew Clay could use safely. Thinking of the kid made Trent shake his head. He had adverse reactions to almost all types of medication. At least, with his stint in Green Team, the medical team a baseline established on what Clay could use. If they hadn’t, Clay wouldn’t have had the chance to chase his dream as a Tier one operator. He wouldn’t have been medically cleared.

Trent took out the temporal artery thermometer Doc gave to him especially for the younger man. He’d have to check Clay’s temperature first, before he could do more. Trent made his way back to the hammock and quickly did the temperature check, then cringed at the reading.

“What?”

Trent glanced at Jason. “103.”

“Fuck.” Jason sighed. “What do we do?”

“I need to get it lower.” Trent scanned the area and spotted a cooler box. “I think there’s still ice in there. Make some cold packs.” He indicated to where he wanted it packed against Clay’s body.

Then Trent returned his attention back to the younger man in the hammock. “Clay, Clay, come on, wake up. Let us see those baby blues of yours.” Trent gently tapped Clay’s cheek. He had to smile when the young man wiggled his nose, but refused to open his eyes.

“Stubborn fool,” Sonny chirped in as he stood next to Trent and saw that their younger brother didn’t want to wake up. “Wake up, Kid.” He tapped Clay on the cheek and grinned when the younger man frowned and moaned in his sleep.

“Come on, wake up.” Sonny tried again and smiled as Clay tried to move his head away before he finally opened his eyes.

“Sonny?” Clay sounded like a small boy.

“Right here, buddy.” Sonny placed his hand on Clay’s chest when the younger man tried to get up. “Stay put.”

“What’s going on?” He tried to remove the cold pack stuck against his side.

“Leave that.” Trent swatted his hand away. “You’ve got a fever.”

Clay shook his head. “Not true.”

“Yes, true,” Trent replied. “Drink this.” He held the bottle out.

Clay took the bottle, but made no attempt to drink from it.

“Hey, drink the water.” Trent gently brought the bottle up to Clay’s mouth. “Come on, buddy, drink.”

Clay turned his head and then groaned. He didn’t feel too well. More than one set of hands continued to touch him and he tried to swat them away. “No, leave me alone.” He pushed at the hands and tried to move away. Unfortunately, his actions combined with everyone else were too much and without warning, the hammock tipped to the side. Several hands reached out to grab him, but it didn’t help as he landed on his back with a groan.

“Shit, Kid.” Trent crouched down and looked on as Clay lay sprawled out on the floor. “Come on, let’s get you up.” He stretched out his arm and took the kid’s hand. He frowned as he felt how the younger man’s hand shook in his. “You cold?” He asked with concern as he helped Clay to his feet.

Clay groaned as he stood up. He shook his head. “No, hot.” He tried to rid himself of the T-shirt he still had on.

“Keep that on.” Trent swatted his hand away and led him to the side of the plane where he made him sit down again. He was aware the rest of the team hovered behind them, and was grateful they didn’t try to crowd the kid too much.

Clay rubbed his eyes. “Want to sleep.” He tried to get up to move back to his hammock.

“Give me a chance to check you out and then you can go back to sleep, okay?” Trent ran his hands over Clay’s head. He needed to make sure their youngster hadn’t struck his head when he landed on the floor.

It was Clay’s turn to swat Trent’s hands away. “No, you’re giving me bedhead.”

“Bedhead?”

Trent glared when he heard Jason snicker.

“I can see you don’t have teenagers. It’s a crazy ass hairstyle. Like they get out of bed and don’t comb their hair.”

Trent shook his head. “Thanks, Jase. You gave me another reason not to have kids.” He fixed his attention back on Clay. “Okay, no bumps on your head. Let’s get you up and cooled down.” He reached down and helped him to his feet again.

Clay reached out and got to his feet just as his body cramped up. He couldn’t stop the whimper that tore from the core of his being as his knees gave way and he sunk to the floor.

“Fuck.” Trent grabbed Clay by the shoulders and pulled him up into a seated position. “What other symptoms do you have? Tell me, what’s wrong?” He could see the way Clay’s holding himself rigid, that he was experiencing muscle cramps, but it was more than that.

“Answer me.” Trent took the younger SEAL’s right leg in his hand and started to massage it gently.

“Fuck.” His body tensed up further.

“Clay, answer Trent’s question.” Jason moved closer. He could see the rookie was in severe pain.

“Cramps, fucking cramps.”

“I can see that, what else?”

“Headache, hurts.” Clay grunted as he slumped backwards. His body shivered.

Trent cursed. “He’s fucking dehydrated and severely.” He continued to massage Clay’s leg. “When was the last time you took a piss?”

“What?” He managed to ask through clenched teeth. “Fuck, can’t remember.”

Trent hummed. He glanced over at Jason. “I need to set him up with an IV and get some extra fluids in him. There’s supposed to be some Gatorade left, hand him a bottle.” Trent sighed. “We need to make sure he takes on extra fluids after each mission, Boss.”

Jason nodded. The rest of the team would make sure the kid drank his share of water.

“I’ll get it.” Sonny responded first as he moved to the cooler that stood to the side. “Blue or Red?” he called out over his shoulder.

“Red one,” the rest of the team spoke as one.

Sonny frowned. “Didn’t think there was a difference.”

“Then why the hell did you ask?” Brock took the bottle from Sonny’s hand and hunkered down next to Clay. Their young teammate shivered on the floor. Without a word he opened the bottle’s pull-push cap and placed the bottle against Clay’s lips. “Small sips.”

As Clay drank the Gatorade, Trent reached for the IV that Jason held. Without any hesitation, he managed to insert the IV line and hooked up the saline bag. Trent glanced over to his left where Ray crouched next to him.

“Need help?”

“Start massaging his feet.” Trent was grateful Clay had removed his boots before he got into the hammock. They wouldn’t have had time to unlace his boots and he doubted Clay would’ve appreciated it much if they cut his laces loose.

Clay grunted and tried to move away from the hands that caused him more pain as they continued to massage the cramps from his legs and feet.

“Keep still, I know it hurts, but we’re trying to help.” Trent slapped him on the thigh as the younger man continued to move away.

“Fuck,” Clay grunted. He could feel the tears as they gathered in the corners of his eyes. He couldn’t cry. He couldn’t be seen as weak. He had to walk it off, like he was told to do. He wasn’t allowed to show pain. Clay tried to get to his feet. He didn’t want to be on the floor of the plane. Whatever he had, he couldn’t let it take him down. Not if he wanted Bravo team to respect him and not see him as the weakest link. He wouldn’t have made it so far if that was the case.

Trent growled as Clay tried to move away from their hands again. “Fucking stop it, we’re trying to help.”

“Don’t need help.” The words sounded harsh and more than one of his teammates cringed at his words. But it was Sonny who acted first.

“Don’t be a fucking idiot, Pretty boy. You’re fucking hurting, so shut up and let us help.” Without any hesitation, Sonny yanked Clay’s other foot towards him and started massaging it.

Clay grunted and hissed, tried to get away again but several hands held him down and finally between the fluids and the massaging, the pain lessened. His eyes drooped and he drifted off. He didn’t even hear the chuckles as between Trent and Brock they got him back into his hammock.

“Stubborn boy,” said Sonny. “We need to talk to him, Boss. He needs to understand.”

“Will do.” Jason scanned at the rest of his team. “Get some sleep. We’ve got a debriefing at the base and then we’re off for two weeks.” He smiled as the team whooped in delight. He got into his own hammock and closed his eyes. They needed to sort the kid out ASAP. It was time he started to realize they were family.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Tactical Operation Center – Afghanistan: Kabul**

**6 Months earlier**

“What do we have?” Jason asked as he entered the briefing room, the rest of Bravo team entered behind him, and took his seat. He arched an eyebrow at Mandy when their CIA liaison didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she stared out of the small window that looked out on the base.

“Mandy?” Eric Blackburn, their commanding officer, asked with concern.

She shook her head and cleared her throat. “Sorry.”

“What’s going on?” Jason asked and leaned forward in his chair.

She took a deep breath. “What do you know about the bacha bāzī?” She studied the team before her.

Jason and Ray shook their heads. Trent shrugged while Brock frowned.

“Is it something to eat?” Sonny asked, and ducked when a balled-up piece of paper flew past his head. “What?” he asked and glared at the person responsible for the flying paper.

“You guys seriously don’t know?” Clay cocked his head. “You’ve never heard of the term?”

“Not that I can remember. What is it?” Ray responded.

He’d noticed how the kid’s shoulders had tightened as Mandy asked the question. The team had come a long way since their first mission together. Clay had settled in, and it seemed like he was finally coming around to the fact that he was part of a team, part of a family. Clay still wore all of his emotions on his sleeve. Seeing him, straightening like that, meant it was something serious.

Mandy indicated to Clay to continue. She was impressed that he seemed to know what she asked about. As the rookie of Bravo team, she’d thought he wouldn’t have a clue. But, once again, he’d surprised her.

Clay sighed. “Bacha bāzī **1** , can be translated into English as dancing boys.”

Jason groaned. “Underage prostitution.”

“No.” Clay shook his head. “It’s worse than that. These boys are either abducted or sold by their families in extreme cases of poverty. They are dressed up as girls, feminized and sold to the highest bidder, then kept as concubines. When they become too old for the men that bought them, they are used in suicide bombings or other attacks.”

The rest of Bravo team shifted uneasily in their seats. Jason spoke up again. “What does it have to do with us?”

“Dorri’s brother was taken yesterday evening.” Mandy lowered her head. Her fifteen-year old Taliban courier, turned CIA asset was a regular face on base. As was her six-year old brother, Shapur, who always followed his older sister.

“What?” Clay jumped to his feet. He’d gotten to know Shapur over the last month. The little guy had taken some time before he felt comfortable enough to talk to him. Now they were good friends.

Jason pulled Clay down and kept a hand on his arm. “What happened?” he asked Mandy.

“Details are sketchy. What we do know is that he was grabbed off the street by two men. Both have been identified as belonging to a faction involved in the abduction of children.”

Jason frowned. “Have they been under surveillance?”

Mandy shook her head. “No.”

“Why not?” Clay balled his fists. He ignored the way Jason squeezed his arm.

Eric cleared his throat. “They are not part of our mission.”

Clay growled deep within his chest, but he stayed seated as Jason’s hand kept him in place. “That’s BS.”

Eric nodded. “I agree.”

“Now what?” Sonny spoke up. He balled his fists at the thought of those bastards getting away.

“Nothing. We’re still not clear to go after them.”

Clay jumped to his feet. “We’ll I’m not going to sit around and do nothing about it.” He stormed towards the door.

“Spenser!” Jason got to his own feet. He wasn’t surprised to see Clay acting out like this. But as team leader, he still had the duty to rein Clay back in. “Sit down.”

“Is that an order, Master Chief Hayes?” Clay’s hands shook as he stood in the door.

“It’s not a fucking invitation, Petty Officer Spenser.” Jason remained standing. They were working on Clay’s temper. He angered more quickly than Jason did most of the time. Luckily, but still odd, it was Sonny who could calm the kid down the quickest.

Clay swallowed hard. “Yes, Sir.” He grabbed a chair and took a seat next to the door. He could feel the rest of Bravo teams’ eyes on him, but he ignored them all.

Jason sighed and took his own seat. “Spenser is right, we can’t sit around and not do anything. What’s the plan?”

Mandy stepped forward. “One of the men identified was Bari Firooz. His family has been investigated before for possible ties with the Taliban. Nothing was found. I’ve put in a call to my superiors to open an investigation on him due to this kidnapping, as we can say that they could be kidnapping the children for suicide missions.”

Jason nodded. “That might work. How long before you get an answer?”

“Unfortunately, not before late today, maybe even tomorrow.”

“What’s the chance of them agreeing?” Ray leaned in with his elbows on the table.

Mandy viewed the team. Her eyes rested on Clay. “I don’t know.”

Clay snorted, but he remained silent.

“Keep us in the loop.” He got to his feet and the rest of the team followed, but Clay remained seated. Jason halted in front of the youngest team member. “Drop the attitude, Spenser.”

“But…” Clay crossed his arms across his chest.

Jason took a deep breath. He could understand where the kid came from, but Clay was out of order and if he was on any other team, they would’ve ripped him apart and written him up. “Hand weapons need cleaning.”

Clay opened his mouth but the stares he got from the team made him close it again. He got to his feet. “Yes, Sir.” He turned and left, not waiting for anyone else.

“He’s going to be the end of me.” Jason dragged his hand across his head. He frowned when he heard Sonny snicker behind him. “Something on your mind?”

“Me?” Sonny grinned. “Nothing, Boss.”

“Good, keep it that way.” Jason led the team towards the door. “Let me know as soon as you’ve got something, Mandy.”

“I will.” She smiled as the men exited the briefing room. She turned to face Eric. “What will happen if I don’t get the green light?”

Eric snorted. “We’ll have a rogue team on our hands. They’ll go looking for Dorri’s brother. They won’t let it go.”

Mandy nodded. She had the same feeling. She only hoped the higher ups would give the word. Time was running out fast for that little boy. If they didn’t find him soon, they would never find him.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Janda: ± 2½ Hours away from Kabul**

Bravo team remained crouched, weapons at the ready until the helo lifted off and flew out of range from any possible RPGs in the vicinity. They would pick Bravo team up at the exfil. Flight time was a mere forty minutes. Jason gave the signal and they moved forward in silence.

Mandy’s seniors had come through late in the afternoon. They’d given a green light to pick up Firooz for questioning on his involvement in suspected terrorist acts. And while the team knew that it might have been their primary objective, but they were going to look for Dorri’s brother first.

When they got the go-ahead, Mandy had pulled out all the information the support team had gathered during the time they had to wait. It included satellite images of him driving to the team’s current destination. The images had shown a large group of heat signatures. Based on their positions, it was clear the sentries were placed all around the compound. Around ten to fifteen heat signatures that rarely moved and were all huddled together had to be the abducted children.

Davis had managed to obtain blueprints of the compound. It was a military structure of one kind or another but it had been abandoned years ago. The blueprints meant that they weren’t going in totally blind.

Jason lifted his fist and crouched down. He didn’t need to look back over his shoulder to know the rest of the team had done the same. They were within sighting distance of the first sentry. They hugged the ground as the guard moved across. He was armed with an assault rifle and in the way he carried it, he seemed bored. It was good news.

Jason lifted his hand and the single suppressed shot sounded up behind him. The sentry crumbled to the ground. The body would be retrieved later. Another hand single had the team moving forward again. Jason let Ray take point as he hung back until he was next to Clay.

“You all right?” he whispered just loud enough for Clay to hear him.

“Yes, Boss.”

“Okay. Keep sharp.” Jason patted Clay on the back and then moved forward to the front again.

He was proud of their youngest team member. Clay had, without a word of protest, cleaned all of the hand weapons. He’d cleaned the extra assault rifles they had as well. When he was done, he’d come to Jason and apologized for his outburst. Jason had accepted the apology and that was the end.

When they got word of the operation go-ahead, Clay had been calm. He’d asked highly relevant questions and had helped come up with a solid plan. Now, they only had to execute it and hoped that they found Shapur in time.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

They managed to breach the main building with little resistance. The sentries were all taken out without anyone getting off a shot and giving their position away. They only had to find the children and Firooz to take him in for questioning.

Clay went in first. Jason was at his back. Security inside the building was almost non-existent. They didn’t expect it to be heavy. No one would ever think that a bunch of kids may try to get away from their abductors. They should’ve thought about the SEAL team that came in to do the rescue. It was clear that they didn’t think.

The three guards were dealt with by Clay even before the rest of Bravo entered the room. Clay managed to hold position in order to clear the rest of the room, but the moment the last _clear_ was called out, he started looking for Shapur.

Clay cringed at the sight of the children. They were all boys. The oldest couldn’t have been more than ten. The youngest about five. Too fucking young. He wanted to scream, but remained calm. He spoke to them in Pashto, repeated his words in Dari. Clay made sure he kept his voice soft so he didn’t scare any of the already traumatized boys. The dark-headed boys all stared at him with blank eyes. Their faces swam across his vision as he searched for the one boy.

Clay concentrated on finding the boy so much, that he nearly stumbled to the ground as someone tackled him from the side. He grabbed hold of his attacker and was ready to deliver the first punch, when he realized the body against his didn’t even reach his thigh. It was Shapur. The little boy clung to him, and his body jerked as he sobbed.

Clay lowered himself to his knees and held the boy to his chest. “I’ve got you. You’re safe.” He repeated the litany as he rocked the boy to ease his fears.

Clay had no idea how long he stayed on his knees until Shapur hiccupped for a last time and then became quiet. He gently pulled the boy from his chest and smiled as the dark brown eyes gazed at him. “You hurt?” Clay inquired softly in Pashto.

Shapur shook his head.

“You sure?”

Clay got a nod this time and he nodded his own head. “Well, then what do you say? Let’s get out of here, okay?”

The boy smiled, lowered his head against Clay’s chest and closed his eyes.

Clay got to his feet and blinked. All of the boys were gathered around them. They sat there silently; none of them said a word. Some of the bigger boys had the smaller boys on their laps. Most of the faces were streaked with tears.

“Ready to go home?” he asked and got more than one nod in return. Clay checked around and found that the rest of the team stood guard around them. He met Jason’s gaze and he smiled.

Jason returned his smile.

Clay watched as Jason fingered his comms and relayed the message that they were on their way to the exfil point.

“What about Firooz?”

“No sign of him.” Jason didn’t look too concerned. They got what they wanted. It would’ve been an added bonus to find the bastard who took the boys, but Jason knew the man was now on their list and they would have a second chance to get him another time.

“Okay.” Clay tried to place Shapur on the floor, but the boy refused to be separated from him. “Shapur, you have to let go. I need to use my weapon. I cannot protect you if I can’t use my weapon.” The boy moaned and clutched at his vest even tighter.

“Leave him, we’ll cover you.” It was Sonny who spoke up.

“Thank you.” Clay smiled at his teammate and friend. He turned his attention back to the boy in his arms. “Let’s go, Dorri is waiting for you.” He nodded at Jason, and when his team leader gave the sign, he moved forward.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

Only when they were sure that the Americans had left did they come out of their hiding place. Javid Parwaiz dusted himself off and grinned. He hated the fact that he’d lost the last batch of boys, but he still had his freedom and that counted for more.

When the last of his personal guard exited and placed the body of Firooz next to him on the floor, he made sure the entrance slid back into place. Not only was it reinforced, but it was large enough and stocked so that they could’ve stayed in there for at least two weeks. When his contact had made him aware that the Americans were on their way, it was too late to escape, but since he’d overseen the building of that room himself, he knew it was undetectable.

It hadn’t taken him and his trusted soldiers a minute to disappear into the room and close the entrance behind them. Parwaiz had personally remained at the door and watched through one of the two tiny peep holes. He’d looked on as the Americans took out the guards he’d placed to watch the boys. It was their job to die for him and they had. None of them had given any indication that there was a secret room in the building. He was proud of them.

It was then when Parwaiz had spotted him. He’d immediately hardened in his pants. Those dark blond curls and blue eyes, the American was perfect, even if he was an infidel. He would, of course, make sure that when he took possession of the American that he’d be shaved clean. The only hair on his body would be those blond curls. It would not be cut. He couldn’t wait to drag his hands through them as he pounded the blond hard.

Parwaiz shook his head. Now was not the time to daydream. “Clean that up.” He indicated at the body behind him. Firooz had disappointed him. If it wasn’t for the imbecile, they wouldn’t have had the Americans on their necks.

Parwaiz called his second in command closer. The soldier had been with him since he started out. He trusted the man with his life. “Did you see the blond-hair man?” He knew Matin watched through the second tiny hole to see what was going on outside the room.

Matin nodded. “He spoke Pashto and Dari.”

Parwaiz smiled. He’d heard that too. The American spoke both languages fluently and what impressed him more was that he had an almost natural accent. “Makes him even more special.”

“You want him?” A smirk appeared on Matin’s face.

“I do.” Parwaiz smiled again. They shared the same deviant tastes. “Do it carefully. I don’t want them to link it in any way to us or to this. I am prepared to wait.”

Matin nodded again. They had a few friends in America who owed them. One specifically came to mind. Parwaiz would be happy with his choice. “It will be done.”

“Great.” Parwaiz scanned the area. “Let’s get out of here. It’s time we returned home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Bacha bāzī - See the addendum for more on this topic.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Dave’s Bar – Little Creek, Virginia Beach**

Clay stumbled out of the bar and managed not to meet the sidewalk head first as he tripped for a second time. He was wasted, but didn’t give a shit. He’d tried to drink himself into a stupor with the intention of not remembering anything that had happened the last couple of weeks.

He searched his pockets, but couldn’t find his keys. Clay slapped himself on the forehead. The fucking bartender had taken his keys and refused to give them back. As if the bastard didn’t know who he was. Hell, he’d been coming to the same bar each night for the last two and a half weeks. He hated the fact that they were back on base for this extended period of time. He wanted to return to action. Hopefully their team would be called up by the end of the month. Training was to begin the next day.

Clay pushed his hands in his pockets and glanced up and down the street. He could either go to the parking lot and break the window of his car and hot-wire it, or walk to the empty apartment. He didn’t have enough cash to replace the window and to repair the ignition, so that basically left him with one choice – he had to walk. At least it wasn’t cold.

He still couldn’t believe that Stella had dumped him. He should’ve listened to his gut when they were in Afghanistan and he thought there were something going on between her and the professor. Clay swallowed hard. Now was not the time to think about it. He had to focus on his job. It was the only thing he had left.

Clay started walking towards the apartment. He felt dizzy and off balance, but the night breeze helped a lot. He shouldn’t have drunk so much tonight, not with training starting the following day, but he’d lost track of time and knew that he’d be paying for it tomorrow. Clay took a deep breath and became aware of movement behind him. He casually glanced back and frowned when there was nothing to see. He could’ve sworn he saw movement behind him. Clay wanted to put it down as him being drunk, but his training kicked in and he sobered up. He took more note of his surroundings. A shuffle sounded behind him and he could hear the faint footsteps of at least two different people. He passed a storefront and used the glass as a mirror surface to see what was going on behind him.

Clay spotted the two men in the distance. They were larger than him and the one seemed oddly familiar, but Clay couldn’t think of where he’d seen him before. He slowed his pace. If they wanted a fight, he would give them one. He braced himself as the footsteps behind him came up quickly.

When Clay estimated that they were right behind him, he turned. The first punch hit him square on the nose. He felt the cartilage gave way. Blood streamed out of his nose and his eyes watered instantly. Clay brought up his own fist and slammed it into the solar plexus of the guy right in front of him. He successfully ducked a second blow, stayed low and delivered the next hit of his own. The man grunted again and moved a step back, but that brought the second man into the attack.

Clay came up fast, but with the alcohol running through his veins, he was too slow and the punch connected with the side of his head. He stumbled and his vision blurred. Clay shook his head and hoped that he could stay on his feet. He managed to turn, kicked sideways, and heard the second man’s cry as he connected with the kneecap. Now, he could only hope the bastard stayed down.

Another hit, this time to the back of his head, brought Clay to his knees. He could see the sidewalk rushing up to meet him and he knew that if that happened, he wouldn’t get up again. Clay clenched his teeth and pushed himself to his feet. He stumbled again, almost landed on the ground, but managed to stay upright. The next hit, landed across his shoulders and his legs gave way. He tried to stop the fall with his hands, but to no avail. He landed face first.

His vision started to turn dark and he wondered if they would kill him for the twenty dollars he had in his wallet or if they would leave him where he was. The last thing he heard sounded like a siren, but it was too far away and he knew it wouldn’t be for him. Clay’s eyes closed his eyes and the world around him grayed out.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

“Blackburn,” Eric answered the unknown number with a bark. It was far too late in the night to be friendly with whoever was on the other side of the line. He was ready for bed, tomorrow was almost upon him and he wanted to get a few hours of shuteye before he had to go to the base.

“What?” Eric came to his feet. The tiredness he felt seconds ago was now something of the past. “I’ll be there in ten.” He ended the call and reached for his boots. He turned to his wife. “There’s been an accident.”

“One of Bravo team?” she asked as she reached for her nightgown. Those boys meant a lot to Eric and to her as well.

Eric nodded. “Clay.”

“What happened?”

Eric shook his head. “The hospital didn’t say. Just that he was brought in unconscious.” He tied his boots and grabbed his keys. He kissed the love of his life on the forehead and headed out of the house. Even before he reached the back door, he had Jason on the line.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Little Creek Medical Centre: ER Waiting room**

**2 Hours later**

Jason shook hands with the patrolman and then placed his hands on his head before he turned around to face the rest of the team.

Ray broke the silence. “What did he have to say, Jason?”

“Someone reported people fighting on the street. A unit was sent and they found one male on the ground, which turned out to be Clay and two other males standing over him. The patrol officer used the siren and lights to get their attention when a black sedan sped up from behind, overtook the patrol car and the two men jumped in and the sedan sped off. The officer relayed Clay’s position to control and he gave chase.”

“Did they find the vehicle?”

“No.” Jason shook his head. “It got away.”

“Fuck,” Sonny cursed. He wanted to hit something, but managed to control himself. Now wasn’t the time to lose his temper. He concentrated on what Jason told him. “It was not a random street fight.”

“Doesn’t look like it.” Jason looked at his team. “NCIS is on their way. They will be handling the investigation.”

“If it wasn’t a random fight, then what was it? Were they trying to kill him, or take him?” Brock asked as he crossed his arms.

“The patrolman didn’t see any weapons in their hands.” Jason stared at the door. He hated not knowing what had happened. The fact that Clay was still unconscious made things even worse. “What’s taking so long?” He turned to face Eric.

Eric shook his head. “Trent said he would let us know what he could find out.”

“And he’s been gone for almost half an hour already.” Jason paced the floor.

“He had to wait for Doc to come before they could start making inquiries, Jason. You know as well as the rest of us they won’t tell Trent anything.”

“It’s still taking too long.” Jason dragged his hand through his hair.

“I think the wait is over.” Brock got to his feet as Trent and their team doctor entered the waiting room.

The rest of the team got to their feet and crowded around Trent and the doctor.

“How is he?”

Trent peered at Jason and then at Doc. Doc had been with Bravo Team for almost five years. He was born Richard Matthew Dockett, but instead of being called Rick, everyone referred to him as Doc. The fact that he was a medical doctor, made the nickname more appropriate. Because Doc remained silent, Trent knew that he was the one who had to tell them the news. He took a deep breath. “He’s going to be okay, but they will be keeping him here for at least the next forty-eight hours.”

“What’s the damage?”

“Grade four concussion. He got struck on the head at least two times: one on the temple, and the other on the back of the head. He required stitches for the hit on the back of the head. There’s definite swelling of the brain and some bleeding, which they’re treating with meds in an attempt to see if they can avoid doing surgery. Clay was also unconscious for more than half an hour.”

“Fuck,” Sonny roared, but before he could slam his fist into the wall, Brock and Ray pulled him back.

“Settle down.” Jason patted Sonny on the chest.

Sonny took a few deep breaths and nodded. He stayed put as Brock and Ray released their hold on him.

“What else?” Jason turned to face Trent again.

“Some deep bruising all over his body, busted knuckles. A broken nose. No other major injuries.”

“But?” Jason crossed his arms. He had a feeling Trent wasn’t telling them everything.

“But he’s also sedated.” Trent held up his hand when the room erupted into chaos. “When Clay regained consciousness, he was disorientated and had clearly no idea where he was. He became agitated to such an extent that they had to sedate him again. They didn’t want to, but with him being aggressive it led them to having no choice.” Trent watched Jason. “The sedation will also keep him calm and give his body and his brain a chance to heal.”

“Why didn’t you calm him down?” Sonny spoke up.

Trent bowed his head. “I tried.” He glanced at his teammates. “He didn’t recognize me.”

“What?” Sonny shook his head. “What are you saying, Trent?”

“I’m saying that Clay had no clue who I was.” Trent sat down heavily on one of the chairs.

“Do we know what he remembers?” Jason took his seat next to Trent.

Trent shook his head. “No, it was at that stage that they sedated him. It took four burly orderlies to pin him down.”

“Fuck.” Jason leaned with his elbows on his knees. “What now?”

“Now we give his body a chance to heal. None of the doctors believe that the memory loss is permanent. His brain got scrambled and it needs time to unscramble. Hopefully when he’s awake the next time, things will go better.”

“Can we see him?” Brock spoke up first.

Trent nodded. He slapped their team doctor on the shoulder. “Doc convinced the doctors that it would be in Clay’s best interest that when he wakes up, he sees a few familiar faces around him. They’ve moved him into a private room. It’s on the second floor.”

Jason slapped Trent on the shoulder. “Let’s go see the kid.”

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Clay’s room: 3 days later**

Clay felt like shit warmed up. His whole body ached, he was nauseated and he wasn’t sure, but he had a feeling that a whole construction crew took up space in his head and they were merrily banging around up there.

He groaned and brought his hand up to touch his head. A hand covered his and he moaned again.

“Not a good idea to touch your head.”

Clay frowned. The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn’t place it. He tried touching his head again. This time the voice growled at him.

“Leave that alone, Clay.”

He scrunched up his nose and turned his head. If he only knew who was talking to him.

“Open your eyes.”

He turned his head. Did he look stupid? He knew his eyes were open. Or maybe, not. That would explain why it was so dark. Clay frowned. Technically, he knew how to open his eyes, but for a reason not known to him, he couldn’t think how to do it.

“Come on, Clay. You’ve been asleep for far too long. It’s time to wake up.”

He felt the hand that covered his. He felt the squeeze. He returned the gesture. At least, he thought he did. He turned his head when something wet moved over his face. At first, he didn’t like it, but then it felt good. He sighed and he could’ve sworn that he heard someone snicker.

“That’s it. Come on, Kid, open your eyes.”

Clay wanted to snort. He’d been trying, but apparently it wasn’t as easy as what he’d thought. He tried again. His eyes felt gritty, even heavy. The cloth was back. It brushed over his eyes and he leaned into the touch. He could hear someone snickering again, but he didn’t understand what was so funny.

“Come on. You’ve been out of it for far too long. Time to wake up.”

This time he managed to snort. He turned his head and finally opened his eyes. Things were dim and blurry. His head thanked him for the dimness of the room. Clay blinked a few times and slowly the blurry figures became clearer. It was the team. He managed to smile and his eyes closed again.

“Oh, no, you don’t.”

Someone squeezed his hand and another hand slapped him gently on his cheek. “Stop.” He tried to turn his head away, but someone held onto his chin.

“Open your eyes, Kid, for longer than two seconds and we’ll let you sleep again.”

Clay sighed. He didn’t want too, but he also knew how persistent the guys could be. He opened his eyes again. His gaze settled on Trent who was on his left. The man frowned. He appeared sad. “Trent?” He could see the relief in Trent’s eyes and Clay frowned which made him groan. The construction crew in his head increased their hammering and drilling and he had to swallow as the bile pushed up into his throat.

“Easy.”

Someone turned him on his side. It couldn’t have been Trent, as he was still staring at him. He wanted to ask what was wrong, but then the nauseated feeling changed and he found himself vomiting in a basin that was pushed underneath his chin. His body quivered as his stomach rolled. Clay had no idea on how long he vomited before someone helped him to lean back again and the wet cloth was used to wipe his sweaty face.

“Rinse.”

A pair of hands guided him forward and a glass was pressed against his lips. Clay took a sip of the water. He rinsed his mouth and then leaned back against the pillows again. Any energy he might have had was now depleted. At least he still managed to look at his teammates. They all looked like hell, but he had no idea on why they’d look like that. Before he could ask, Trent spoke up.

“You want something for that headache of yours?”

Clay swallowed hard and nodded once. He immediately regretted the small action and closed his eyes.

“I’ll get the nurse.”

Clay frowned. It was Blackburn. He didn’t even notice the commander in the room. He had to swallow again as the nauseous feeling came back. Trent must’ve sensed his discomfort as he took Clay’s hand and squeezed it. “Deep breaths.”

It worked, the sick feeling subsided a bit and Clay managed to open his eyes again. The team still looked worried.

“What’s my name?”

Clay frowned at the odd question, but answered. “Jason Hayes.”

“Who’s this?” Jason pointed to the man on his left.

“Ray Perry.”

“Who’s this?” It was Ray who pointed to the man on his left.

“Sonny Quin.”

“You bet your ass, I’m Sonny Quin, Kid.” Sonny grinned. “Who’s this?”

Clay wanted to roll his eyes, but he didn’t think he’d be able to do that just yet. “Brock Reynolds and next to Brock is Trent Sawyer.”

“Good.” It was Trent, who answered.

“What’s going on?” Clay tried to move, but moaned as his body protested at the simple action.

“Stay still, Kid. You’re pretty bruised up.” Jason placed his hand on Clay’s shoulder.

“What happened?”

“You don’t remember?” Jason inquired.

Clay wanted to shake his head, but he had a feeling it wouldn’t have been a good idea. “Not sure.” He didn’t miss the look that passed between Jason and Trent.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Trent leaned closer and lifted Clay’s chin with his hand.

Clay frowned. It should’ve been easy to answer the question, but it was as if he was staring at a blank canvas. “I…” He shook his head.

“Shit.” Jason dragged his hand across his head.

“What’s going on?” Clay squinted. The dimmed light started to hurt his eyes. The pounding in his head got kicked up one notch higher.

“Your pain getting worse?” Trent asked as he watched the monitor next to Clay’s head.

“Yeah,” Clay responded. He knew better than to try and dodge the question. He closed his eyes.

Trent regarded the rest of the team. “I think we should leave it for now.” He knew the team wanted to object. They all wanted answers, but the nurse entered the room and they all remained silent.

Jason watched as the nurse pushed something into Clay’s IV and then left the room. He wanted answers, but if Trent said they should leave it, then that was what they were going to do. But he wasn’t going to leave it for long and Trent knew that. He looked at their medic and then at the youngest member of their team. “Get some rest. We’re not going anywhere.” He squeezed Clay’s hand and took his seat which he’d occupied earlier.

The rest of the team spread out again on the different chairs around the room. They had been with Clay for the last three days. This was the first time he actually spoke to them; the first time that he actually remembered who they were. All of them had a number of extra gray hairs and it was all as a result of the kid.

Trent waited next to Clay’s bed until he was sure that the kid was sleeping again. They all knew from personal experience how bad concussion headaches could be. He took his seat and gazed over at his team leader. “He’s getting better.”

Sonny snorted. “You call that better? Hell, Trent, he doesn’t even remember what happened. How is that better?”

Brock punched Sonny’s arm. “He remembered your ugly face, and he was awake long enough to talk to us. He’s getting better.”

Sonny shrugged. “He’s still here.”

Trent smiled. He understood what Sonny meant. They all did. “You know how it is with concussions. He’ll get there.”

“And what if he can’t remember who attacked him?”

Jason focused on Sonny. “Then we’ll stick to his side until we catch those bastards.”

“You think they’re gonna try again?” The team knew NCIS had recovered an abandoned vehicle. It was cleaned of any fingerprints, but they had found a photo of Clay underneath the driver’s seat. They were now treating it as an attempted kidnapping.

Jason shrugged. “If they’re stupid enough, they may, but we’ll be ready.”

Sonny grunted in response. Now that they knew there was a threat against the kid, they would make sure to keep him safe. No one would get through them.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Undisclosed location: Virginia Beach**

Daniel ended the call with a scowl on his face. His employer wasn’t impressed and he knew the only reason why he, Carl, and Paul were still alive and breathing was because they were in America and the boss was back in the home country.

He could understand his employer’s dissatisfaction. They’d underestimated their target, something that they would not do again. Also, if the police hadn’t show up, they might have succeeded in getting the blond into their vehicle. He’d told Carl that they should’ve had the car closer, but his _brother_ always believed he knew better.

The door behind him opened up and Daniel looked over his shoulder as Carl entered the one bedroom apartment. “Where have you been?”

“Checking up on the infidel.”

“I told you to stay away from the hospital.”

“Why? They don’t know who I am, or what I was doing there. You need to relax. I’ve got everything under control.”

Daniel closed his eyes. “We need to be more careful. We’ll only have one more chance.”

“And we’ll succeed.” Carl flopped down on the couch.

“We need to show patience first.”

Carl snorted and ignored the man in front of him as he opened a laptop and focused his attention on the screen. He had a plan and this time it would succeed. They would get the blond-haired man and they would be rewarded handsomely for their work.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Little Creek Medical Centre**

Special Agent McGee stared frustrated at the Navy SEAL who stood before him. He knew the likes of Master Chief Hayes, hell, he’d been working with Gibbs for more than a decade now; he was used to being stared to death. “I understand your position, Master Chief, but I still need to do my job.”

“And I’m telling you, Special Agent McGee that it doesn’t matter how many times you ask Spenser the same questions, his answers are going to remain the same. I will not let you, or any other agent for that matter, interrogate a member of my team.”

“We are not interrogating him, we are conducting an interview,” McGee tried to explain again.

Jason tried not to roll his eyes. He was about to respond when a voice spoke up behind him.

“What do you have, McGee?”

Jason turned and grinned. He observed the man who approached them.

“Very stubborn SEALs, Gibbs. Other than that, nothing much.” McGee stared at Hayes. He was glad Gibbs showed up, maybe his boss could get some cooperation out of this man.

Gibbs grinned and reached out to greet the man next to McGee. “Jason Hayes. It has been a while since I last saw you. You doing well?”

“Agent Gibbs.” Jason shook the offered hand. “As well as can be under the circumstances.”

Gibbs hummed. “The petty officer one of yours?”

“Yes. My rookie.”

Gibbs nodded. “He remember anything, yet?”

Jason shook his head.

“You gonna keep him safe?”

“You know I will, Gibbs. Even better than what you can.”

Gibbs smiled. “I assume you have McGee’s number. You also have mine. If he does remember anything, let us know. In the meantime, be careful.”

“Will do, Gunny.”

“Let’s go, McGee,” Gibbs called out as he turned to walk away.

McGee scanned Hayes and then Gibbs. He should’ve guessed that the two men knew one another. Their attitudes were almost the same. It didn’t matter that one was a Marine and the other one a Navy SEAL. He nodded to Hayes, and then ran to catch up with Gibbs.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

Jason stepped back into Clay’s room and couldn’t help smiling. Clay was curled up on his side, with Cerberus curled around his feet. The dog opened his eyes and looked at him for a second before he closed them again. Jason knew that if it was anyone else who entered the room, Cerberus wouldn’t have been so calm. The seventh member of their team was on guard duty and even Brock had difficulties keeping him restrained. Cerberus was very protective of Clay.

Jason’s gaze landed on Ray. His friend and second in command was livid. “What’s going on?” It took a lot to get Ray worked up over something.

“Cerb, guard,” Jason ordered the dog, a Belgian Malinois, uncurled himself and sat back on his haunches. He would remain in that position until he was released from the order. Jason joined Ray outside the room. He repeated his earlier question, “What’s going on?”

“Finally got hold of Stella. Or, should I say, Naima, got hold of her.”

“And? Where is she?” Jason had been furious when they had been unable to contact her. They had tried to ask Clay, but at the time he had still been so confused that the answers they got didn’t make any sense.

“She and Clay broke up almost three weeks ago. She made sure Naima understood that she wanted nothing to do with Clay. She didn’t even ask what happened, or if Clay was all right when Naima told her he was in hospital.”

Jason placed his hands on his head. “The kid didn’t tell anyone this?”

Ray shook his head.

“I’m gonna kick his ass so hard, he’s going to have trouble sitting down for at least a week.” Jason had been under the impression that Clay knew he could talk to them about anything, especially something like that. Now, Clay’s blood alcohol level made sense. It appeared the youngest member of his team had drank himself into a near stupor that night. They found his car at a bar and collected the keys from the bartender, but no one asked any questions at that stage. He would inform Gibbs about this possible lead. It could be where the goons that attacked Clay had spotted him for the first time.

“Where’s she now?”

“Not entirely sure. Think she moved in with the new boyfriend.”

“Gordon? The one Sonny said Clay was worried about?”

Ray shrugged. “Could be. Want me to find out?”

Jason shook his head. “No, let’s concentrate on getting him out of here and on the mend. Our training has been pushed back for another week. Clay will not be ready to go on the mission with us, but I want him to be on that plane with us. Especially since we still don’t know who tried to take him.”

“How did you get rid of NCIS?”

Jason grinned. “Gibbs showed up.”

Ray laughed. “Of course he did.” He fist-bumped Jason and the two men went back into Clay’s room. They were on guard duty until dinner time. Then Brock and Sonny would take over. Trent was on base attending an advanced first-aid course. He would be back in two days’ time.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

_The images didn’t make sense. He kept on seeing Brian’s face, which morphed into Shapur. Then it was Stella who stood before him. They grew taller, meaner. They came at him with fists swinging. He tried to duck. He didn’t want to hit any of them, but they didn’t back down. Clay tried to run, but they boxed him in._

_Their fists became knives, became machetes, became hand guns and then AK-47s. He could feel the bullets as they ripped him apart, his blood spilling from the multiple holes that decorated his body._

_Clay could hear himself scream. He tried to block the shots fired at him with his hands, but it didn’t help. He pleaded again. Asked them what he’d done wrong. Begged for forgiveness. They laughed at him. Their faces changed, morphed into something – someone else. Two men. They attacked him, and he tried to block their assault. He felt the blows to his body, to his head. Voices sounded around him. It was English, but then it was not. He understood them, but it didn’t make sense. He fell to the ground and as he gazed up the face changed again and Clay screamed again._

“Clay, Clay!” Jason yelled again. Different monitors screamed behind Clay’s head as the young man thrashed in the bed. His body was covered in sweat. He continued to scream, and Jason couldn’t get through to him.

“Clay!” Jensen grabbed hold of Clay’s shoulders and shook him hard. He didn’t want to injure the thrashing man, but Clay left him with no choice.

“NO!” Clay screamed as his eyes snapped open. His chest burned and he couldn’t breathe. He was aware of someone hovering over him, but he didn’t know who it was. He lashed out, feeling his fist hitting flesh and he drove his fist forward again. He hit something and he continued to attack the person in front of him.

“Fuck,” Jason cursed as Clay’s fist connected with his cheek. A second punch had him stumbling backwards. “Clay!” He managed to grab hold of the right hand, but wasn’t quick enough for the left and it found a tender spot on his ribs. He groaned, but held the kid down. He was aware of Ray being next to him and between the two of them, they pinned Clay to the bed. “Where’s the fucking nurse!” he shouted again. He didn’t want Clay to be sedated, but it was clear they had no choice. Their rookie’s eyes were open, but he was still trapped in whatever night terror he experienced.

Jason had to try again. He shook Clay’s shoulders and Clay gasped. His eyes became focused and Jason moved away. “You’re all right, you’re safe.” Jason kept his voice low as he gave Clay space which he knew the young man would appreciate.

“Sick.”

Jason moved forward quickly as he turned Clay on his side. Clay heaved hard as he vomited. His T-shirt, bed and the floor would have to be cleaned, but that was something they would take care of later. Now, he first had to make sure Clay was with them.

“Easy, we’ve got you. You’re gonna be okay.” Jason repeated the words until Clay finished vomiting and helped him lay back against the pillows. Clay’s skin shimmered with sweat. His blond curls were plastered against his skin and he continued to gasp for air. Jason gave way as Trent shoved him to the side.

“Look at me. Look at me.” Trent ordered and slapped Clay’s cheeks to get him to focus on him. He had to do it a few times before Clay finally met his gaze. Trent smiled. “Good, now, take a deep breath. Breathe through your nose and out of your mouth. Follow my lead. Come on, you can do it. Just like this.” Trent took a breath and held it. He nodded in encouragement and then after five counts he exhaled. Clay followed his lead and Trent smiled. “Let’s do it again.” Clay continued to follow his lead and the monitors stopped whining as his breathing evened out.

“Good job. You’re doing good. You’re all right. We’ve got you. You are safe.” Trent breathed with Clay again before he stepped back. “You okay?”

Clay nodded and swallowed. His head throbbed; his body ached. He closed his eyes for a few seconds and then they snapped open again. “They spoke Pashto. They spoke Pashto.”

Jason observed Trent and Ray. He didn’t need to inquire about whom Clay referred to. The mystery of who wanted to take Clay just became a fuckup. And a huge one at that.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Joint Expeditionary Base–Little Creek**

**1 Week after the attack**

“You sure about this, Lieutenant Commander?”

“Yes, Sir,” Eric answered. “Spenser’s memory has recovered to such an extent that he remembered the two men spoke Pashto. He also gave descriptions of both assailants. He has no knowledge about the vehicle or a possible third suspect, but from what the patrol officer said it was clear that Spenser was unconscious at that time when he noticed the vehicle.”

“Was this information relayed back to NCIS?”

“Yes, Sir. Hayes called Supervisory Special Agent Gibbs immediately. They’ve interviewed Clay again. Agent Gibbs indicated that they would let us know if they find something more.”

“Was Spenser released from hospital?”

“Indeed, Sir. He’s here on base with the rest of Bravo team. They’ve – we’ve decided that the base would be the safest place for him to be at the moment.”

“Good call, Blackburn. Keep me in the loop.”

Eric nodded at Captain Harrington and exited the office. Clay was cleared for light duty and it was good enough for him to make sure the kid got read into their next mission. He knew neither Jason, nor any of the other guys would let him stay behind. They would train for the mission and Clay would be there every step of the way so that when he was ready for full duty, he’d known what to expect.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Undisclosed location: Virginia Beach**

**2 Weeks later**

“I told you to be patient, Carl. I’ve told you that plenty of times,” Daniel nearly screamed the words out as he paced up and down.

“Stop calling me that.”

Daniel frowned. “What?”

“That’s not my name. You know it’s not my name.”

This time Daniel did scream. “We are on American soil, we must blend in. Do you think for one moment that if I called you by your given name, we’d be able to do that? You accepted this job. You accepted the name of Carl.”

“I hate it!”

“And you’re not a child. Stop acting like one. We’ve got enough problems as it is.”

“It is not my fault.”

“Then who’s to blame for this mess?” Daniel stopped pacing and looked at the other man.

“Them.”

“Them? The Americans?” Daniel laughed. “For most things you are right, and they are at fault. But for this, they are not. That is on you. You brought this on us and because of your impatience we now have to get out of here. And not only out of this apartment, but out of this country.”

Daniel pointed to the bodies of two agents from a place called NCIS. Once again, Carl had acted in haste and killed them. Neither agent even had a chance to draw a weapon before Carl had stabbed the one and snapped the other’s neck. “Get rid of them. We will clean this place.” He slammed Carl into the wall. “Do not mess this up. I will not die because of your mistakes.” He didn’t look back as he stormed off to start clearing the apartment of their belongings and to make sure it was cleaned thoroughly. He also had to make arrangement to get them back home. Their mission was a failure.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Tactical Operation Center – Afghanistan: Kabul**

**4 Months later**

“Listen up, boys and girls. We’ve got the green light for tonight’s mission. We will go in as planned.” Eric tossed the file on the table and looked at Bravo team spread throughout the room.

“Mandy is on her way back from the meeting she had with her source. They’re ten minutes out. I briefly spoke to her and it seems she obtained further intel, which will make things even easier for us tonight.”

“She has the Kid with her?” Sonny took a bite out of the apple he’d been chewing on.

Eric managed not to roll his eyes. The whole team was still very protective over Clay. It didn’t matter that no other attempt had been made to grab Spenser. What had rattled the team was when Agent Gibbs called them. A lead that they followed up on got two NCIS agents killed. It was still an ongoing investigation, but since then, they had no other leads to follow up on. And, because that fatal lead had to do with Clay’s attempted kidnapping, the team kept an even closer eye on him. It was in fact the first time in four months that they let the kid go with Mandy as an interpreter on his own. Eric knew that Clay had blown his top a week back over their protectiveness and it seemed to have worked as they’d backed down.

“Yes, Spenser is with her, Sonny.”

“Good to hear.” Sonny tossed the apple core over his shoulder. It landed in the trash can at his back and he grinned from ear to ear.

Eric smiled and took his seat between Jason and Ray. Both men had their laptops open and worked on different aspects of the mission for the night. He got roped in as they started to discuss the different stages of the mission again.

“Listen, are you sure Mandy said ten minutes, Eric?” Trent spoke up where he leaned backwards in his chair. “It’s been almost half an hour already.”

“What?” Eric looked up at this watch. Trent was correct. It was already half an hour since he had last spoke to Mandy. He got to his feet, phone against his ear. He turned to face Jason as the phone continued to ring but didn’t get answered.

“Fuck.” Jason got to his own feet. “Gear up,” he ordered. He didn’t even wait for Eric to say a word before he and the rest of the team were out of the tactical room and on their way.

“Davis!” Eric barked. “Either get me satellite images on Mandy’s last position or find me a drone. But make it happen, and make it quick.”

“On it,” Lisa responded as she moved from one laptop to another and started typing furiously. 

“Got a satellite,” she called over her shoulder and watched as the blurry image became clear. She swallowed hard. “Eric.” Her voice sounded small in her own ears.

Eric turned and looked at the image displayed. “Fuck.” He looked at the vehicle used by Mandy used that now stood engulfed in flames. He could make out two bodies on the ground, but the imagery was still too grainy to get a positive identity, if any.

_“Bravo one to TOC.”_

“TOC responding. Davis sent you co-ordinates. Vehicle destroyed. Two bodies on the ground, but image too grainy to confirm status. We’re tracking any vehicles that departed from the vicinity in the last thirty minutes. We’ll keep you up to date.”

_“Roger that. ETA ten minutes.”_

Eric closed his eyes and said a silent prayer. He couldn’t believe that something like that had happened. What he didn’t understand was why neither Mandy or Clay nor their driver had called for help. He knew Clay wouldn’t have given up without a fight and the driver was one of Bravo’s own support team. Mandy herself was no stranger when it came to using a weapon.

“Bravo one, be advised that we’ll be losing the satellite within the next five minutes. A drone is ten minutes away. Two vehicles can be seen traveling in a southern direction. No images available from the approximate time the ambush took place.”

_“Copy that we’ll be flying blind for five minutes. Any indication on the number of persons in the two vehicles?”_

“Negative, Bravo one. Two vehicles out of satellite’s range. Trying to get another to piggyback on. Stand by.”

_“Standing by.”_

Eric groaned at Lisa’s words. He hated the fact that on this side of Afghanistan there were no satellites to use freely to obtain the information they wanted. With the Taliban shooting the drones out of the air, the armed forces started to send them up only when needed. They had lost a lot of useful information by doing that, but they didn’t have a choice.

“TOC to Bravo one, visuals lost.”

Lisa glanced at the SAT phone in her hand. “TOC to Bravo one.” She looked at Eric when the only sound over the line was static.

Eric took the phone from her. “TOC to Bravo one, respond.” He waited for ten seconds and then repeated the command.

“How far out is that drone?”

“Another five minutes,” Lisa replied.

Eric took a deep breath and turned to one of the support team members. “Call Alpha team. They need to gear up. Bravo team needs assistance.”

****

**Small Fandom Big Bang Round 8**

The team exited their vehicle and assessed the scene. They had no idea if there were any unfriendlies in the area, or if they might be headed into a trap. They cleared the area before they moved towards the still burning vehicle and the two bodies.

The first was Michael who was the designated driver. He had been shot multiple times. The second body was of an unknown male. It was clear that he bled out after being shot through the thigh and the bullet nicked the femoral artery.

“Bravo one to TOC.” Jason used his comms, but then frowned when he received no response. He tried again, but with no luck. He changed the channel and tried to comm Brock, who was on the other end of the street, but once again with no luck. “Fuck.” Either his comms were not working, or they had a bigger problem. The fact that neither Clay nor Mandy failed to report that they were in danger made him believe that it was the second.

“Comms are down.” He walked over to Ray and looked on as his second in command tried his own comms.

“Something is blocking it,” Trent spoke up as the team came together.

“Take a photo of this guy’s face and then let’s find what’s jamming the comms. Widen the perimeter search. Find Mandy, find Clay,” Jason ordered his team as they moved out.

They searched each street, each alleyway, even kicked down doors and turned the few people who stayed in this part of town out of their homes. They found no sign of either Mandy or Clay. Jason tried getting through to TOC again, but had no luck.

“One street left, Boss,” Sonny who worked point, called out to the team behind him.

“Heads on a swivel. Stay sharp.” Jason had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. None of the team answered him, but their shoulders squared even more, their fingers right on the triggers of their rifles.

They cleared the first three houses on the left-hand side. After that, there was an empty plot of land before another three houses lined the street. “Ease up.” Jason gave the order and the team went to their knees in the shadows of the mud buildings.

Ray looked at Jason. “What’s going on, Boss?”

Jason cocked his head and then indicated with his head to the building across the street. “Sentry.”

Sonny growled. “Want me to take him out?”

Jason shook his head. “Double back, take him down, bring him here.”

“Roger.” Sonny and Brock disappeared without a sound.

Trent leaned against the wall. “What’s on your mind, Jason?”

“Why take Mandy and the kid? If they just wanted Mandy, they would’ve killed Clay like they did Michael. If they wanted an American, once again, why take both?”

“You think they wanted Clay?”

Jason nodded at Trent. “I think they took Mandy and used her to gain control over Clay.”

“Fuck.” Ray lowered his head. “You think this is related to whoever wanted to take the kid back home?”

Jason stared at his second in command. It was the first thing he thought of since they realized that the vehicle Mandy and Clay travelled in had been compromised. “They’ve been watching us the whole fucking time.”

“And today was the first time the kid left the base without any of us to have his six,” Trent replied as he scanned the area around him. “Movement at three.”

“Eagle, eagle,” the voice called quickly before Brock and Sonny came into sight. Sonny had a man swung over his shoulder.

“One package. It’s a bit dented, but should still be able to talk.” He dumped the man at Jason’s feet.

“Get him inside. Take a photo of his face. Find out if we know who he is,” Jason ordered as they entered the last house they cleared.

Sonny did as ordered. He sent the photo to Davis and dragged the man by his arms into the building. Trent followed suit as Sonny placed the man in one of the chairs and used zip ties to tie his hands and feet to the chair. Trent took out an ammonia inhalant pouch and crushed it under the man’s nose. The result was instant.

As the man gasped for air and coughed, Jason took up position in front of him. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Where’s the man and the woman?”

The man coughed, his eyes teared up, but he remained silent.

Jason looked up, nodded his head and moved to the side.

Sonny delivered the first punch. The man’s cheek split open.

“I’ll repeat it again, where’s the man and the woman?”

They received no answer and Jason moved again.

The second punch tilted the chair backwards, but then it steadied on the four legs again. Both cheeks were split open and blood oozed from the wounds.

“No answer?” Jason shrugged. “Okay.” He turned around, but before the man could relax, Jason turned back and kicked high. His booted foot connected with the man’s chest and the chair tipped backward, falling to the floor. It pinned the man’s hands on the floor, his body’s weight on his arms. Jason didn’t even look as the man grunted out in pain. Instead, he walked to the wall and rested against it. “Where’s the man and the woman?”

The man moaned in pain, but he didn’t talk. He rolled his head to the side.

Jason moved to the side the man now faced and hunkered down. He crossed his arms over his knees. “Where’s the man and the woman?”

The man smiled and closed his eyes.

Jason snickered and kept the smile on his face as the man’s eyes snapped open. “It’s not that funny.” Jason smiled again.

The man wanted to turn his head again, but then he gasped for air as a swift kick to the side of his chest took his breath away. He felt the ribs gave way. He no longer smiled. His eyes were now filled with fear.

“Where is the man and the woman?” Jason asked again as he got to his feet and walked over to where the man lie on the floor. He placed his foot in the middle of the man’s chest. “With my gear, I’m about two-hundred and forty pounds. Do you think your chest can handle that weight?”

The man’s eyes grew even larger and his breathing sped up. He shook his head. “No.”

Jason grinned. “Talk.” He didn’t remove his foot, but leaned forward. More of his weight settled on the man’s chest.

“Please.”

“Talk.” Jason kept his foot where it was.

“Please,” the man begged again, as his breathing became labored.

“Talk.”

He nodded. “I was hired to keep watch, that’s all I know.”

“Liar.” Jason came up and placed all of his weight on his front foot.

The man gasped. “No, no, please, I swear, I don’t know any more.”

“Liar.” Jason added more pressure.

“Stop, stop.” Tears rolled from the man’s eyes.

“Talk.”

He nodded. “I had to keep watch. To report how many came. That’s all. That’s all.”

“To whom did you have to report? How would you report? Talk.” Jason stayed where he was.

“Cousin. I had to contact my cousin. He’s the one who hired me.”

“What’s his name? For whom does he work? How would you contact him?” Jason fired off the questions in quick succession.

“I don’t know. Please, stop.”

Jason cocked his head. “You don’t know your cousin’s name?” He leaned forward again.

“No!” The man gasped for air. His lips turned blue and his eyes rolled back.

Jason removed his foot. “Wake him up.”

Trent checked for a pulse, checked the damage Jason did to the man, and then lifted him up from the floor. They kept him tied to the chair. He crushed another pouch and held it under their captive’s nose. The man gasped for air as he was brought back to consciousness. He coughed hard, his head lolled forward.

Jason grabbed him by the hair and pulled his head back. “You’re not dead. Talk.”

“I don’t know.” Tears ran down his face. He shook his head again and again.

“Still not the answer I’m looking for.” Jason pulled out his K-bar and pressed it against the man’s throat. “I will slit your throat, but I will do it in such a way that you will bleed out slowly. You will feel the blood flow from your neck and you’d be unable to do anything about it.” To show that he was serious, Jason pressed the tip of the knife into their captive’s neck. Blood pooled around the tip of the knife and as he withdrew the blade, the drop dripped and slithered down the man’s skin.

“I don’t know much.” The man trembled as he felt the blood against his skin. “I was told to wait here. To report later how many came. That’s it, nothing more.”

Jason shook his head. “Do I look stupid to you?” He yanked the man’s head backwards again. “You are more than a low-level watchdog. Do you want me to tell you how I know this?” Jason shook him hard. “One, you speak English. Near perfect English to be exact. Two, that means that you are educated. Three, it means that you are high up enough in the food chain to know exactly what is going on here.” Jason nicked the man’s neck again. This cut was longer and deeper. “Why did you stay behind? Where is the man and the woman?”

Their captive’s bravado returned. If they wanted to kill him, they would’ve done it already. Matin was right. The Americans were soft. He couldn’t understand why their nation was seen as a superpower. They lacked the viciousness that should be associated with that title. “You will never see them again.” He smirked.

Jason stepped back and with a kick sent the man and chair tumbling down. He lashed out again. His booted foot found the man’s side and he heard the rib crack under the repeated assault. Jason didn’t give a damn. He screamed as hands pulled him back and he got shoved against the wall. “Let me fucking go.” He strained against Ray, who was shorter than him, but was nearly as strong.

“Listen.” Ray pushed Jason back against the wall for a third time. He looked over his shoulder to the rest of the team. None of them even attempted to help. He understood. Ray focused on Jason again. “Listen.”

“What?” Jason snapped.

“Blackburn sent Alpha team out to help. They found Mandy.”

Jason went limp. “Where?”

“Five klicks from here.”

“She all right?”

Ray nodded. “Banged up, has a concussion, but she’s okay.”

“Clay?”

Ray shook his head. “Still missing.” He ran his hand over his face. “Davis found out who our guest is.”

“Yeah?” Jason looked over Ray’s shoulder.

Ray quickly informed his team leader what they found out.

Jason cocked his head. “The family needs to be picked up.”

It was Ray’s turn to grin. “Already done.” He showed Jason his phone. It didn’t surprise him when Jason took the phone from him.

Jason relaxed. He nodded his head and took a deep breath when Ray let him go. He walked over to where their captive lie on the floor. He hunkered next to the man and crossed his hands over his knees. “We will find him. But, first, I need to share something with you.” Jason held out the phone he took from Ray. “We’ve got your family. And I will personally make sure that if you do not cooperate, you will never see them again.”

The man growled. He tried to get up from the floor, but being tied to a chair made it nearly impossible. “Leave my family alone!”

Jason laughed and shook his head. “You took _my_ family. It’s only fair that we take yours.” He got to his feet. “Get him out of here.” He didn’t look back as he exited the room. He had to talk to Mandy. They had to find Clay.

****

**Small Fandom Big Bang Round 8**

**Undisclosed location: Kapisa Province**

**7 Hours after the abduction**

Clay slowly opened his eyes and looked around. He’d been awake for more than an hour, but played possum to gather information on where he was and what the hell had happened. His head and body ached. Clay tried to get his memories in order. The last thing he remembered was exiting a building with Ellis. Clay shook his head. That wasn’t it. Something happened after that. He closed his eyes again and concentrated. He had interpreted for Mandy. They’d gotten more useable intel for their planned mission. He walked right next to her to the Humvee parked across the street. They got in and drove off. Michael was behind the wheel.

He gasped for air as he remembered Michael. Michael was dead. Someone shot at them. He had dragged Ellis out of the Humvee, made her stay low as he tried to get eyes on those who shot at them. It had become clear very quickly that they had them pinned down. He’d counted at least eight active shooters. He’d tried to reach TOC on his comms, but had only gotten static. He’d yelled at Mandy. She had a SAT phone with her, but she couldn’t get through either.

Clay kept his eyes closed. Their signals were jammed. That had to be it. He’d heard Michael scream. He’d tried to get to his fallen teammate, but with the shooters above them, he couldn’t get to him. He’d seen Michael slump sideways. His jade green eyes stared lifelessly at Clay. A smoking canister had rolled out from beneath the Humvee. He’d tried to throw it back, but the smoke was too heavy. His vision had blurred. His muscles had refused to cooperate. He’d felt himself falling sideways. The last thing he’d seen was Mandy as she fell to the ground.

Mandy. Clay’s eyes snapped open again. He had no idea on where she was. Clay looked around feverishly.

The room was about six by six and except for him, it was empty. He took inventory of his own body. Bar for the aches he felt, nothing appeared to be broken. He smiled at the fact that they didn’t tie him up. It was their first mistake. He managed to get to his feet, but then he became dizzy. He had to reach out to the wall as he nearly face-planted. The dizziness continued and he sat down again. “No wonder they didn’t bother to tie me up,” he murmured to himself as he closed his eyes and tried to get the dizzy feeling to go away. Clay had no idea on how long it took before the feeling of the world turning in his head finally gave way.

He opened his eyes again and eyed the door across from him. He had to get out. He had to find Mandy, get her to safety. Get them both to safety and then wait if he couldn’t get hold of the team. They would come looking for them. Clay looked down at his wrist and groaned. He no longer had a watch. At least he was still dressed, including his boots. Mistake number two for the bad guys.

Clay tensed up as his ears picked up movement from outside the room. He leaned back against the wall. It would be easy to see if he could escape right now, but he had no idea if the dizziness would come back should he get to his feet. He didn’t like it, but it would be better to stay put for a bit longer before he made his move.

The door opened up and Clay had to cover his eyes with his hand as the harsh light made his eyes tear up.

“You’re awake. That is good,” the man spoke Pashto.

Clay shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

The man smirked. When he spoke again, he spoke in English. “Don’t take me for a fool. I know who you are. I know what languages you speak. Pashto is one of them.” He took a step closer. “Let us not get off on the wrong foot. You will not like it if you anger me.”

“Bite me,” Clay couldn’t help but respond. He managed not to shiver as the man smirked at him.

“I’m planning to. But, not yet. First, you need to learn.” Without waiting for a reply, he exited the door and closed it behind him.

Clay frowned at the man’s words. It didn’t make sense. He looked on as the door closed behind the man and then he smiled. He didn’t hear it lock. Mistake number three.

****

**Small Fandom Big Bang Round 8**

**Tactical Operation Center – Afghanistan: Kabul**

**12 Hours after the abduction**

Mandy lowered herself gently into the chair and placed the cold pack at the back of her head. She didn’t look at any of the others in the room. She’d left the hospital AMA, despite suffering from a second grade concussion caused by a large bump at the back of her head, some bruised ribs and a split lip. But it wasn’t as if she had a choice. Clay was missing and she was the only possible lead to finding him.

She looked up as a cup appeared in front of her. From the smell, she could tell it was tea. “Thank you.” She smiled as she brought the cup to her mouth and took a sip. It tasted wonderful. She took another few sips and then placed the cup back on the table. “I don’t know what else to tell you.”

Brock smiled at her. “You’ve been put through the wringer, we know that. But you also know, we need everything you can remember. It doesn’t matter how insignificant you think it might be.”

Mandy squared her shoulders. “Are you insinuating that I’m not telling you everything that happened?”

Brock shook his head and tried not to sigh. This was the exact reason he was given the task to talk to their CIA operative and not anyone else on the team. They were all on edge. The fact that it was twelve hours later and they still had no idea on where Clay was made things even worse. “You know that’s not what I’m saying. It’s been a hectic time. We know you are doing your best to help us.”

“Then why are you still trying to get information from me that I cannot give you?”

“You are a CIA operative. Are you saying you would give up on an interview after a mere twelve hours?”

“Are you saying this is an interrogation?” She sprang to her feet. The room quieted down around her.

“Did you want this to be an interrogation?” Jason’s voice sounded to her left.

“Jason.” Brock held up his hand. “Give me time.”

“Clay doesn’t have time!” Jason yelled.

“Yes, he does.” Brock managed to keep his voice level. He closed the distance between himself and his team leader. “You gave me a job to do, Boss. Let me do it.”

Jason sighed and then nodded. Without a word he turned and walked out of the room. The rest of Bravo team followed him. Only Brock remained.

“Please, sit down.” Brock motioned to the chair Mandy had occupied seconds before. He held the chair for her and waited patiently.

Mandy looked at the people still in the room. They were all support staff as well as Lisa and Blackburn. Lisa had dark circles under her eyes. Mandy knew she herself didn’t look much better. She nodded and sat down.

“Thank you.” Brock took the seat across from her.

“What do you want me to do?”

“I want you to forget what happened at the Humvee. Instead, I want you to concentrate on what happened after you arrived at the meeting.”

“Why?” Mandy asked, but the answer came to her even before Brock answered. “They followed us.”

Brock remained silent.

Mandy closed her eyes and thought back to the meeting. “Michael stopped right in front of the building. He wanted to get out and accompany us, but Clay told him to stay put. He said we shouldn’t leave the vehicle unattended.”

“What happened then?”

“Michael had to move the Humvee.”

Brock frowned. That wasn’t something they normally did. “Why?”

Mandy shook her head. She hadn’t really taken notice. She’d wanted to talk to her informant and hanging around waiting until Clay decided it was safe enough grated her nerves.

“Focus, Mandy. Clay told Michael to stay put. But then the Humvee was moved, why?”

Mandy searched her memories and one sprang to the forefront. “Afghan security.”

“What about them?” Brock made a note.

“They came towards us. Told Clay that the Humvee had to be moved.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what else.”

“Why not?”

“They switched to Dari. I think Clay argued with them. Their voices were harsh.”

“Including Clay’s?”

Mandy nodded. “Yes.”

“What happened then?”

“Clay ranted and Michael stepped out of the vehicle. They spoke. There was a delivery truck that was parked across the street when we arrived. It left. There was space for the Humvee. It would still be in our sight the whole time. Clay finally agreed and Michael moved the Humvee to across the street. We went into the building.”

“What happened to the Afghan security?”

Mandy cocked her head. “They walked off.”

“Did you ask Clay why did they wanted the Humvee to be moved?”

She nodded. “He mumbled something about dignitaries that were going to use the route and that it had to be clear of all vehicles.”

Brock made another note. “What happened next?”

“We went into the house. My informant was there. She was very skittish. Especially when she saw Clay.”

“Why is that?”

Mandy shook her head. “I don’t know. I didn’t ask her. I concentrated on finding the information for the mission.”

“How did she react to Clay when he interpreted for you?”

“She was uncomfortable, but she gave me the information I wanted. It took longer than I expected.”

“Do you know why?”

“She kept on repeating things I knew already.” Mandy’s eyes snapped open. She looked at the cup in front of her. “She kept on drinking water. Taking small sips.” She looked at Brock. “She was stalling for time.”

Brock nodded. He’d already noted that as well. “Was there anything else strange during the meeting?”

“No. She finally told me what I wanted to know and we left.”

“What happened outside?”

“Nothing.” She raised her hand. “No. Let me think about that again.” She closed her eyes. “The people on the street.” She frowned. “There were fewer people on the street than when we entered the building. I didn’t think much of it. It was getting late.” She opened her eyes and looked at Brock. “Clay wasn’t impressed.”

“About what?”

“There was a vehicle parked right where the Humvee was originally.”

“No dignitaries?”

Mandy shook her head. “Clay said something about politics, corruption and bribery. He was upset about it. I told him to leave it be. We got what we wanted.”

“What next?”

“We moved across the street and got into the Humvee and Michael drove off. Then all hell broke loose.”

Brock nodded. “You couldn’t make contact with TOC?”

Mandy shook her head. “All the comms were dead including the SAT phone.” She lowered her head. “Clay cursed.” A small smile appeared on her face even if the conversation they had were dead serious. “I think he cursed in all of the languages he can speak.”

Brock smiled. “He does that a lot.”

“He told Michael to drive, but there was something wrong. The Humvee didn’t want to move.”

Brock frowned. “You didn’t move at all from your initial position?”

“No. He drove about half a block before the first shots were fired.”

“Did the engine stall or was it switched off?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t know.”

“Okay. What next?”

“We took heavy fire. Clay said we couldn’t stay there. He pushed me out of the vehicle.” She dragged her hand over her face. “Then the direction of the shooting changed.”

“They kept you pinned against the Humvee.”

“Yes.” She swallowed and lifted the cup to her mouth. It was empty. A bottle of water appeared next to her. “Thank you.” She took a sip and looked on as Lisa moved away from her. For a moment Mandy wondered if Lisa blamed her.

“Amanda?”

Her full name brought her out of her musings. “Yes. Clay fired several shots. I know he hit more than one shooter.” She frowned when she saw Brock making a note. “What are you writing?”

Brock looked at Blackburn before he answered. “Except for Michael and one other body, no other bodies were retrieved.”

“I saw three falling from the buildings myself. He did take them out.”

Brock held up his hand. “I believe you. It’s something that we need to look into.”

“Okay.” Mandy got to her feet. “We were pinned down.” She looked at her hands. Her voice was a mere whisper when she spoke up again. “I heard something land under the Humvee. I thought it was a hand grenade. I saw smoke and Clay reached underneath the Humvee to get hold of it. The smoke was so thick. I couldn’t breathe. I remember falling to the ground and then nothing more.” She looked up. Her eyes were filled with tears.

“Take your time.” Brock relaxed in his seat.

He kept his posture open. He could see that Mandy reacted to his own state of calmness. He felt out of his comfort zone leading the interview with Mandy, not because he couldn’t do it, but because he was out of practice. Ray was their number one sniper, although Clay was an even better shot. The only reason Ray was still number one was because of seniority and experience. Jason was the boss and Sonny played with the big guns. Trent was the medic and breached doors. He, well, he had Cerberus and was a qualified profiler. They were a complete unit, except now their little brother was missing and they had to find him. Brock took a deep breath and focused on the woman in front of him again.

Mandy wiped away the tears that threatened to escape. She wasn’t a damsel in distress. She was a CIA operative. She was better than this. Bravo team depended on her. More importantly, Clay depended on her. “What else do you want to know?”

“Close your eyes. I want you to go back to that first moment when you became aware of your surroundings. That instant, right before you opened your eyes. Concentrate on that moment only. Don’t take it further.”

Mandy frowned. She had no idea if she could do that.

Brock slowly came to his feet. He circled her and stood at her back. He leaned over her shoulder. “You were trained in interrogation techniques; in how to hand it out and how to deal with it on the receiving end. In your training you used the same technique to take stock of what is going on around you before you face your adversary. Use that. Think back and tell me what you heard, felt, smell. Focus on those senses only, nothing else.” He stayed behind her.

Mandy closed her eyes. She deepened her breathing and thought back. Her eyes kept on snapping open as she gasped for air. She couldn’t see. It was dark. She couldn’t breathe. There was something in her mouth – a gag. She tried to push it out with her tongue, but it was stuffed too deep. She could feel herself panicking. She shook her head. “I can’t.”

“Yes, you can.” Brock laid his hands on her shoulders. “It’s dark when your eyes are closed.”

She nodded.

“What’s the first thing you realized?”

“I couldn’t breathe.”

“Why not?”

“A gag. There was a gag in my mouth.”

“Good. What else? Why was it dark?”

Mandy tilted her head. “Burlap sack over my head.”

“What can you smell?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Stinks. Like the cages after you’ve returned from a long deployment and haven’t had the chance to clean up yet.”

Brock smirked. He knew how rank they could be. “Good. What else?”

“Spices. Lots of different spices. Cardamom, mint, coriander, cumin.” She shuddered. “I hate Cardamom.” Mandy took another deep breath. “I’m lying down, but it’s not a floor. It’s on the ground. I can feel the sand beneath my fingers. It’s fine sand and it’s cool to the touch.”

Brock leaned forward. “Open your eyes. What do you see?”

Mandy’s eyes snapped open. “Feet. Dirty feet in sandals. Men.”

“How many?”

“Four.”

“Clothing?”

“Traditional robes, including turbans.”

“Weapons?” He quick fired the questions. He didn’t want her to overthink her answers. Just what she remembered.

“No weapons.”

Brock smiled. They didn’t think she posed a threat to them. “What happened next?”

Mandy thought back. “All of them looked bored. Two smoked. None of them even looked in my direction. The burlap was thin enough for me to see through it. They didn’t tie me up.”

Brock returned to his chair and sat down. He scribbled a few notes again. “You took them down.”

Mandy nodded. She gently touched the lump at the back of her head. “I still had to get rid of the bag over my head and the gag in my mouth. I swear Sonny’s socks would taste better.” She smiled as Brock laughed. “I managed to shuffle away from them. I needed the space to move. They had their backs to me. I made sure that nothing was broken and then I removed the sack and the gag and I attacked.”

Brock grinned. “You did good and got yourself out of there. Describe what you found.”

Mandy leaned back in her chair. “It was a single story building. Three rooms. I found some rope in the room and tied them all up.”

“You nearly got recaptured.”

She nodded. “It was a stupid mistake. I didn’t take enough time to make sure I was in the clear before I moved on. I had to get away. I still didn’t have a weapon.”

“Alpha team found you.”

“They did. There was a second group of five men that I was unaware of. Alpha team took them out with double taps and then I collapsed.” She bowed her head.

“Mandy.” Brock waited until she looked up. “You are one of the best CIA operatives in the field, but what you do on a daily basis is still a hundred percent removed from what you went through today. Trust me when I tell you, you did good. You saved yourself and with the information you’ve given us, we will find Clay.”

“How? You found the place where I was kept. You found the four men I left tied up. You’ve seen where I’ve been. What did I do to help?”

Brock continued to look at her. “There were no spices found in the house, yet the smell of the different spices was very easy to pick up on. It means that the room you were found in is used to keep spices. And not only a pinch or two, but bags of spices. Those spices were obtained from somewhere and it was transported to somewhere. To do that, they need a large vehicle – a truck. We’re looking for satellite images of any large truck picking up or offloading bags to that house. We will then be able to follow both routes it took, and if we can find out where they got the spices from and where they are taking it too. When we’ve got that information, we can gather more intel. And hopefully that will lead us to Spenser.”

She looked at the man with the deep brown eyes before her. A smile appeared on her face. What he said made sense and she knew that if she didn’t suffer from this concussion, she would’ve been able to figure all of what Brock told her out for herself. Mandy decided to concentrate on the one thing she would be able to do. “And I get to interrogate the four from the house.”

Brock laughed. He couldn’t wait to see the expression on their faces when Mandy walked in. “Of course. You rendered those four unconscious. You’re going to make them sing.” He closed his notebook. He would share what he got with the team. “Get some rest.”

Mandy shook her head. “I’ve got work to do.”

“You need to rest,” Blackburn spoke up next to her. “Take a few hours. Jason and the team are playing tag with your four captors. Let them soften them up for you.”

She wanted to object, but then Lisa appeared next to Blackburn. “Come on. Just a few hours.”

Mandy nodded. She was dead on her feet. She would rest for a few hours and then she would help the team find Clay. And they would find Clay. Nothing was going to stop them.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Undisclosed location: Tagab District**

**Two days after the abduction**

Clay shivered as he tried to hug his body with his arms to retain any heat he still had left to keep himself warm. His chest throbbed and he couldn’t take any deep breaths. He was well aware of the fact that several of his ribs were cracked and fractured. He’d stopped wiping the blood from his forehead as it kept on running down into his eyes. The wound to his head had been bleeding since he came back to reality and although it bled less, it was still hindering. He had more pressing problems to worry about. He couldn’t walk. Not with the damage done to his feet and lower legs.

Clay would’ve kicked himself if he was in a position to do that for being so overconfident. He should’ve thought things through instead of trying to get away. He closed his eyes as he shivered again. The pain in his feet increased with each painful throb. He tried to ignore the pain, but he could hear himself whimper. He swallowed against the bile that threatened to rise up in his throat. He didn’t want to think on what happened, but then the memories filtered back.

_The moment the door closed behind the man, Clay tried to get to his feet again. This time things went a bit better as he made it to the door before his legs threatened to give in again. Clay knew he was still too weak to attempt an escape, if he tried it now, he wouldn’t succeed, but he had to see what lay beyond the door and for that he needed to do some recon. His hand trembled as he reached for the handle. He pushed it down and it opened silently. Clay had to step back as the door opened inwards and he took a look outside. It seemed that he was being kept in some sort of house. Two doors were across the passage and from where he stood, he could gather that there was at least one other room next to the one he was kept in._

_When his vision blurred, Clay knew it was time to sit down. He managed to close the door and shuffled back to where he was previously and lowered himself to the floor. He swallowed hard and realized how thirsty he was. There was nothing he could do about it so he tried to ignore the thirst as best he could. He pulled his legs up towards his chest and rested his arms on his knees. He had to gather some strength. It would take time. Time that he didn’t necessarily have, but he knew he would only have one chance to escape and he had to use it wisely._

_Clay closed his eyes and forced himself to rest. If he could get rid of the dizziness, he’d have a good chance to escape. His body had to rid itself of the drug that made him feel so funny. Even with his eyes closed, Clay used his hands to feel at his neck and arms for any possible puncture wounds. He had to be injected with some kind of drug. He didn’t feel anything. It seemed that he was having a strong reaction to whatever was in that canister they threw underneath the Humvee. It also meant that the toxin had to be almost worked out of his system. If he only had some water to help the process along._

_Clay rested for what he believed to be about forty-five minutes to an hour before he lifted his head and looked around. He couldn’t hear any sounds coming from outside the room. He rose to his feet and smiled as he managed to remain upright. He took a quick look in the room, but it was bare. There was nothing he could use as a weapon. Not that he needed one. He made the short distance back to the door without being dizzy and opened it. The hallway remained empty._

_He looked left and right and then moved left. He had to establish what was in the other rooms. It could be helpful, but it could also alert anyone who might be on the other side of the door that he trying to escape. Clay knew he had to clear the rooms, and he moved to the door in front of him. He had to make it quick._

_The room turned out to be what appeared to be a bedroom. He found a single pallet covered with a thin blanket on top of a threadbare rug. There was a single lamp next to the pallet with a water jug. It was empty. He left the room and moved on to the next one._

_The second room mirrored the first. He left it within mere seconds of entering._

_Clay moved to the last room. This was the room next to the one he occupied. He tested the door and upon hearing nothing, he turned the knob and entered. The room was cloaked in total darkness. The hair at the back of Clay’s neck stood on end. He reached for the door handle at his back to retreat, but got blinded as the room filled with light. He couldn’t see past the light and his first thought, even though he couldn’t see, was to wonder where the light came from. The other rooms all held lamps. Before he could react, he was grabbed from different sides and attacked._

_Clay didn’t hesitate to fight back. Although his eyes still needed to adjust to the sudden brightness, there was nothing wrong with his ability to fight. He got hold of one of the attackers as the man stumbled over his own feet. He got his arms around the man’s neck and snapped it with a single twist. He flung the body to another attacker and as the body and the man stumbled backwards, Clay concentrated on the next one._

_This man was the size of Sonny, and for a moment Clay was grateful for the daily sparring sessions he had with the team. He sidestepped a swish of a blade, got in a punch and a gash on his arm. He didn’t let the pain show, but attacked again. His opponent was fast, but his movements sloppy and Clay used it to his advantage. Clay managed to step away, and the man had to extend his reach. Clay grabbed the hand with the knife, twisted the man’s arm and rammed the knife into the man’s chest. Blood poured from his lips and Clay shoved him away just as someone landed on his back._

_His attacker got his arms around Clay’s neck. The pressure was intense and even in the few seconds the bastard was on his back, black spots appeared in front of his eyes. He used his hands to try and pry the man’s arms from his neck. He stepped backwards and slammed his body into the wall at his back. The man grunted, but didn’t relax the hold he had on Clay’s throat. Clay twisted, tried to flip the man over his head, but only managed to land on his hands and knees as his vision started to gray out. He went limp and the ploy worked. The man relaxed the hold he had and Clay bucked up. He dislodged the man from his back, rammed the palm of his hand into the man’s nose, breaking it on impact, but also shoving the broken cartilage into the man’s brain. He died with a gurgle and blood running from his nose. Clay got to his feet._

_Another two men appeared before him._

_“Fuck, how many of you are there?” Clay screamed as they attacked at the same time._

_It became clear that they worked regularly as a team. They tag teamed him and got in more than one good body hit. Clay felt the ribs on his right give way. The pain took away his ability to breath and he gasped for air. A hit to the side of the head had him on his knees. He grabbed hold of a booted foot that aimed for his side and twisted the ankle with both hands. The bone snapped and the man fell down. It didn’t stop the second man from attacking him._

_He got picked up and slammed head first into the wall. His vision grayed out for a few seconds and as he shook his head, he got picked up again and slammed into the floor. Another two ribs gave way and at the same time a well-placed kick to his lower back right on his kidneys made him scream in agony. He got dragged up by the hair and got pushed face first against the wall. Clay fought with every ounce of energy still left in him to get free, but without success._

_“Did you really think you’d be able to escape?” The man’s voice from before filtered through the darkness that lie beyond the burning light. He spoke in Pashto. “You Americans are so full of yourself.” He appeared from the light and came to a halt right next to Clay. “You are so predictable.” He sneered. “Just because I left you untied, didn’t take away your shoes and didn’t lock the door you thought you would get away. But it was a test. A test that you failed. I acted in good faith. You showed that you can’t be trusted.”_

_Clay blinked sluggishly. He never thought of it as being a test. It seemed that he had underestimated them. But then, the rest of the man’s words finally made sense to him, and he laughed. It hurt, but he didn’t show the pain on his face._

_“How the fuck did you act in good faith? You drugged us, you kidnapped us, why the hell would you think that you can trust me?” He responded in English. He would not reply in Pashto even if he was fluent in the language._

_With the man right next to him, he saw the rage behind the man’s eyes for a moment and he grinned. “She got away.” Hope flared up inside of him. He would still try to escape, but the team would find him. They would not leave him behind._

_The goon behind him slammed his head against the wall again and Clay felt the skin on his forehead split open._

_The man next to him screamed and cursed. Spit landed on Clay’s face as the man continued to rant. “That will not happen! You are mine. You belong to me! Me!” The man pulled him from the wall and punched him hard in the face._

_Clay tried to bring his arms up to defend himself, to protect his head, but the goon at his back pinned his arms to the side as he got beaten up from the front. A fist against the side of his head finally rendered Clay unconscious and he slumped forward._

_When he’d woken up again, he was in a room that was clearly not the first room he had been kept in. This time, he was buck naked and chained to the wall. He’d taken stock of his injuries and come to the conclusion that although he was pretty banged up, he would most likely live. He’d gone over the man’s words again and it didn’t make sense. He couldn’t understand why the man would say he acted in good faith or that he was under the impression that Clay belonged to him. Clay also knew he couldn’t brood over the words for too long. They were just that – words. He had to get out. He’d studied the shackles that held him to the wall and found that they were brand new. Even the chains had no scuff or rust marks to indicate that they were previously used. It hadn’t made any sense._

_Clay was still trying to work things out in his head when he heard the locks on the outside of the door being opened. Light filled the room and two men entered. With the size of the room it felt crowded. Clay watched as the one pointed him with an AK-47 while the second took out a key and continued to unlock him from the shackles that kept him captive. He was shoved against the wall and before he could resist, his hands were bound behind his back and he was pushed to the door. He was taken to a large room. This room’s lighting was better and he found that it wasn’t a normal sized room, but more of the likes of being a banquet room. He was led to the middle of the room and thrown to the floor. When he tried to get up, a boot at the back of his neck kept him in place._

_Without being able to look up, Clay could do nothing more than to wait to see what would happen next. He’d counted twelve other men in the room, excluding the two men who came with him and the man that spoke to him. Several large chairs were placed around the room from what he’d seen, but they were all empty, except one. One large ornate chair stood right in the middle and the man he’d started to hate was lounging on it. “Do you think you’re king or something?”_

_“I am,” the man had answered promptly. He once again spoke Pashto._

_Clay hadn’t expected that response. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the man rise to his feet. He could only see the man’s feet as he moved closer to where Clay was still pinned to the floor._

_“Let me guess, now’s the time to swear allegiance to you.” Clay continued to speak in English._

_“That will come, but not now. Now, you are still under the misconception that you are free. That you have rights and that you are a human being. But that will change. You will soon learn that I’m in charge. That I am your master and that you are my pet. You belong to me.”_

_Clay couldn’t help but to smirk. It was clear that the man was off his fucking rocker. He didn’t belong to anyone and he was definitely no one’s pet. He wouldn’t admit it, but the man’s words also bothered him. He was trained to hold out against terrorists. Taught not to divulge information that could harm the United States in any way or manner, but the man hadn’t once asked him about who he was, where he was stationed or what he did. It was as if it didn’t matter to him. Clay managed to push the thoughts down. He had to concentrate on what the man did say. “I am free. I have rights. I am a human being. You are not my master and I am not your pet. I do not belong to anyone. That will never happen.”_

_“It will.” The man came to a standstill in front of Clay. “Like all new pets, you need to be taught manners. You know, the basics. I am not a monster, but I am also not very patient. I am of the firm belief that a lesson needs to be taught only once. If it’s taught in the right way it doesn’t need to be repeated. I have a feeling that you will refuse to learn because you are stubborn. But there’s one thing I need you to remember, that I’m doing all of this for you. I want you to be perfect. You will be perfect.”_

_“You are fucking crazy, man.” Clay started to struggle against the man who still had him pinned to the floor. He stifled a groan as he got kicked in the side._

_“Since you are also behind schedule with your lessons, we need to cover two today,” the man continued as if Clay didn’t speak up._

_Clay looked on as the man nodded to the goon who held him down. Before he could react, he was picked up from the floor and slammed against the wall. The back of his head connected hard with the wall and even as he tried to clear his head, his hands were fastened to another set of shackles. He didn’t even notice them before. His legs were grabbed and he tried to kick out, but the man was quick and within mere seconds his legs were shackled to the floor. Clay bucked and tried to get his hands through the shackles around his wrists, but they were too tight._

_“Let me go!”_

_“Lesson one.” The man stepped right up to Clay. “Pets only speak when spoken to; pets speak only Pashto.”_

_“I am not a pet,” Clay responded in English._

_The man smiled, but the expression didn’t reach his eyes. “I see this is going to be a very hard lesson for you to learn.” He shook his head. “Maybe we should concentrate on your second lesson. I have a feeling that it might inspire you to learn your first lesson.” He nodded to the man next to him and as the man walked away, he addressed Clay again. “Lesson two. Pets do not walk, they crawl.”_

_“I am human. I am not an animal or a pet.”_

_“No, no. You’re not an animal. Pets are so much more than animals. Animals are meant to be eaten. Pets are to be treasured. I will teach you the difference.”_

_Clay remained silent. He didn’t like the sound of that._

_“See, you are already making progress.” The man reached out and stroked Clay’s hair. “We’re behind schedule. You need to be cleaned as soon as possible.” He withdrew his hand and ignored the way Clay growled at him. He glanced over his shoulder. “Finally.” He grinned._

_Clay managed not to shiver as the man touched his hair. He’d seen the look on the man’s face and it creeped him the hell out. “Don’t touch me,” he bit out the words._

_The man sneered. “You cannot make any demands from me. I will touch you in any way I please. You are mine.”_

_A light went on for Clay and he blanched. This couldn’t be happening. “Bacha bāzī.” He felt sick to his stomach._

_The man smiled at him. “Almost. I like my boys to be older.” He glanced behind him as his man returned. He took the offered item and tapped it against his hand. He grinned as the American’s eyes grew huge. His instrument for getting pets to learn their lessons also had such an effect on the new pets. This one was no different._

_Clay eyed the white Ashwood baseball bat held in his captor’s hands. It was capable of crushing bones. But even as he knew he was supposed to worry about the damage the bat could do to his body, his mind was still reeling about the admission made to him. SERE training and the later advanced SERE training never went this far. Being raped – sexually violated wasn’t something that was discussed. Even in today’s society, it was still a taboo topic. He had no idea on how he would handle it; if he could handle it. Clay took a deep breath. It wouldn’t help him to dwell on things yet to come. He had to concentrate on getting out of here and in one piece more or less. Clay’s attention got drawn back to the man before him as he spoke up again._

_“Lesson two – pets don’t walk.” He brought the bat straight down on the bridge of Clay’s left foot.”_

_Clay screamed._

_“Lesson two – pets don’t walk.” The man brought the bat down on Clay’s right foot. He stood and watched as the American screamed. It sounded like music to his ears._

_“Lesson one – the only language allowed is Pashto. For every word of English you speak here, you will get punished. Understood?”_

_Clay concentrated on his breathing. The pain he experienced threatened to drag him down into the darkness of nothingness. He couldn’t afford to lose consciousness. Not right now. He heard the man’s words and he lifted his head. “Fuck you.”_

_The man grinned. “Lesson one – the only language allowed is Pashto. For every word of English you speak, you will get punished. That is two.” He lifted the bat and hit Clay on the bridge of his left and then right foot in quick succession._

_“Understood?”_

_Clay managed to lift his head. “I am Petty Officer First Class Clay Spenser. Service number 228-98-1813. Date of birth October 14, 1990.” The bat connected with his feet again. Clay couldn’t curtail the screams that escaped from inside of him. He continued to repeat the information and finally darkness prevailed and he knew nothing more._

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Tactical Operation Center – Afghanistan: Kabul**

**3 Days after the abduction**

The chair collided with the wall, leaving a dent behind as Jason screamed out his frustrations. “It’s been three fucking days and still no sign of the kid. How the fuck is that possible?” He slammed his hands on the steel table. More than one laptop bounced on impact.

“Jason,” Mandy spoke up.

“No!” Jason turned and with two giant steps he stood next to her. “I don’t want to hear it, Mandy. Unless you have information on where Clay is, you need to keep quiet.”

“Hayes!” Blackburn raised his voice as he stared at Bravo team’s leader. “Take a break.”

“Not until we find, Clay.”

Blackburn came to his feet. “That was not a suggestion, Hayes.” He looked straight at Jason as the man tried to stare him down with one of his icy looks. Luckily, he was immune against Jason’s stares. Eric glanced at the rest of the team. “All of you, get out of here. I don’t want to see any of your faces here for the next four hours.” He wanted to make it longer, but knew he would then be pushing his luck. He wasn’t surprised when no one moved.

“I will not hesitate to send all of you home.” He would never do that. No other team would find Spenser as quick as Bravo team.

Eric held up his hand as four of five all yelled at him at the same time. Jason was the only one who remained silent. A silent Jason meant he was brooding and a brooding Hayes was never a good thing.

“I do not want to do it, but if you do not start to take care of yourselves, you will be leaving me with no choice. Get some rest. Should we get any intel in this time, I will personally come and fetch all of you.”

They all remained seated. Blackburn squared his shoulders. He was about to order them again when Jason straightened out. He watched as the team leader walked over to the white board they used to write down all the information they had on Clay. Unfortunately, the board was eerily empty.

“Four hours.” Jason turned to face their CIA operative. “I want information, Mandy. Get it.”

Mandy nodded. “I will.”

It was Jason’s turn to nod. “Let’s get some rest,” he called out to the team as he moved towards the door. He was grateful that the barracks here were so small that he and Ray had to bunk with the rest of the team. They needed to be together. He wasn’t willing to lose another of his team while they were looking for the kid.

Eric watched as Ray, Sonny, Trent, Brock and Cerberus all followed Jason out of the door. They moved in silence. He released a breath he didn’t know he held when the door shut behind Brock.

“Shit.”

He turned to look at Ellis and Davis. The two women were also exhausted, but he knew Mandy would not rest now and Davis would say she needed to monitor the feeds of the different satellite images they’d gathered and she needed to keep an eye on the five drones they had in the air. She didn’t trust anyone else with this task. Hell, he didn’t trust anyone else with the task.

“What have we found out from Adin’s wife?”

Mandy smiled. Adin was the sentry Bravo team picked up. He thought he was clever, but through his actions he’d given away more than what he thought he had. His teenage son was used as a very efficient bargaining chip against Adin’s wife.

“She gave me a name. Jamal. He’s been in Adin’s life on and off for as long as she can remember, but they are not cousins. Not by blood in any case. Adin always told her that Jamal dealt in things like the trade of spices, but she’d never heard him speak of any spices.” Mandy closed her eyes for a second before she opened them up and continued. “What is also more important is that Jamal would be gone for months before he would reappear from nowhere.”

“When did he arrive here in the city?”

“Two days before we came in.”

“Does she know for how long he normally stays?”

“Not more than a week to ten days.”

“Does he stay with them in their home?”

Mandy shook her head. “No. When he’s here, Adin doesn’t sleep at home. There is always more money to survive on when Jamal leaves.”

“Any more details on this Jamal?” Eric drew a large question mark next to Jamal’s name. His gut screamed and he had a feeling that this name, this man, might lead them in the direction they wanted to be.

“No, but I’ve mentioned his name to our four crazies and they all seemed a bit terrified of the man. It doesn’t matter what I promise or how I threaten them, they refuse to say anything about him.”

“Can he be a major player?” Eric walked over to the board and wrote the name down. He glanced over his shoulder when Mandy remained silent. “Ellis?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve not once picked up his name in any chatter, but it looks like, according to her, Adin feels like Jamal is pretty important.”

“Any description of Jamal?”

Mandy snorted. “Very general, nothing specific.”

Eric gazed at his watch. “I’ve got a couple of questions for our friends.”

He walked up to Davis and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Take a break. Let your eyes rest.” When she shook her head, he squeezed her shoulder. “Please.” He could feel how her shoulders sagged beneath his hand. He patted her lightly on the back. “We will find him, Lisa. We will bring him back. I promise you.” Eric looked on as Lisa nodded and moved her chair back to get to her feet to take a break. They had to find Clay.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Tactical Operation Center – Afghanistan: Kabul**

**Interrogation room 1**

Eric stood with his hands across his chest and watched as the masked CIA operative brought the chair upright after water boarding their target for the second time. He normally hated interrogation techniques like this, but this time he didn’t even blink an eye when Ellis’s superior authorized it at her request. He didn’t give a damn about the Geneva Convention.

Mandy stood next to him. Her face was devoid of any emotion as she stared at the man who now sat upright gasping for air. On her other side stood their interpreter. It’s the first time they’ve used him and he shook hard. Eric knew it was difficult to stand by and watch someone be tortured like this. They could’ve used an armed force member, but they wanted a civilian to be part of this. They wanted the word spread on the streets that they are coming down hard on whoever had information on where their kid was.

“Let’s try again.” Eric moved forward. He circled the man and stopped at his back. “You have to agree, we don’t want much. Tell us what we want to know and this will stop. I promise.” He watched as the man he called Crazy One shook his head.

“I don’t know. Please.” The man coughed hard.

“What don’t you know?”

He gulped. “I don’t know Jamal. I’ve never met him before.”

“You know of him,” Eric fired off the next statement.

Crazy One nodded. “Yes, yes. I’ve heard about him before.”

“What did you hear?” Eric walked around the bounded man and stopped in front of him.

“Heartless, cruel. Kills for fun. Only wants to make money. Loyal to only one.”

“Loyal to whom?”

The man shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t know.”

“Don’t talk shit to me!” Eric screamed in the man’s face. “Who does Jamal report? Where is he?” Crazy One pissed himself for the second time.

“Stop!” The interpreter charged forward and pushed Eric away. “Can’t you see, he doesn’t know anything?”

“Back off!” Eric turned to the interpreter and shoved him hard into the wall. “You’ve got one job to do and that’s to interpret what is being said – nothing more. Do your fucking job or get out!” He watched as the man gulped, turned and ran out. Eric glanced at Mandy and smiled. He knew only she could see his face. Hopefully things would get a bit stirred on the streets.

He turned back to Crazy One. Eric leaned forward and yelled. “Where is Jamal? Who does he report? Tell me!”

“To Adin’s wife. He reports to Hadiah!” he responded in broken English. Crazy One sobbed. “Stop, please, stop. I don’t want to die.”

“Too late for that. You helped kidnap two American citizens. One of them is still missing. You will most likely never see the sun again, or you might get lucky and die a quick death.” Eric turned away as the man continued to sob and stared at Mandy. Wordlessly they left the room together. When he closed the door behind them Eric faced Mandy. “What the fuck? How is that possible? Where is she?”

Ellis shook her head. “I don’t know. We released her. She was of no value to us. She and the children left this morning.”

For a moment Eric was speechless. Jason was going to go ballistic when he found out about this. “Get us more information on Hadiah. Find out what you can, Mandy, and do it quick. If I have to send Jason in to get the information, we’re going to be buried in paperwork for people dying while incarcerated. Find out, Mandy.” He stormed off.

There was something seriously wrong. None of them had gotten the impression that Hadiah was involved in any terrorist actions. She came across as meek, even subservient. There was no way she could be a terrorist. They were missing a part of the puzzle, and by the look of things it seemed to be the most important part. Eric got the feeling that they had been played for three days. Whoever orchestrated Clay’s abduction had been leading them by the balls. They were not in control of this situation. It didn’t matter that they thought they were. They were wrong.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Undisclosed location: Tagab District**

**Three weeks after the abduction**

Matin looked on as Parwaiz’s newest pet curled into himself in an attempt to protect his head from the blows that continued to rain down on him. The American had been with them for a few days short of a month and Parwaiz had yet to break him. He had to admit, the man was mentally much stronger than they thought he would be.

Currently, he was being punished for still refusing to talk in Pashto. He didn’t talk, except to repeat his name, rank and service number – and that he did in English. He repeated it the whole time. Matin had even wondered if he could get Parwaiz to gag him, just for him to stop with the litany of words. The American did crawl, but not because he was broken. He crawled because he couldn’t stand on his feet. Matin didn’t think there was a toe that wasn’t broken in the American’s feet. Parwaiz had not only continued to hit him with the baseball bat, when he tried to teach him his lesson, but he’d taken a straight razor and cut several thin long slices into the soles of the man’s feet. Parwaiz then made sure that the cuts were cleaned with salt to make sure they didn’t get infected, but also to cause him even more intense pain when the gritty texture of the salt damaged the edges of the cuts, tearing it up.

Matin pushed himself from the wall and casually walked over to where Parwaiz was using a short whip to hit the American with. Matin stood with his hand at his sides and had to admit he was bored. “Maybe you should try something else?”

Parwaiz growled, brought the whip down on his pet’s back again and looked on with satisfaction as another bloody line appeared on the light skin. “Like what?” His arm was tired and he flung the whip to the side. He kicked the American once in the side because he could and then walked off. He indicated to the two soldiers who stood guard to take the American away. “No food for him.” He gave the order as he washed his hands in a bowl of water before drying them off. He didn’t look as the two guards picked his pet up by the arms and dragged him off to his cell. “I’m listening.”

“Supply and demand,” Matin said with a grin.

“What does that mean, Matin? I do not have time for games.” Parwaiz snapped at his second in command.

Matin bowed his head and then spoke up. “You own poppy fields. You’ve always stayed below the Americans’ radar. You are one of the largest producers of opioids in our country and our enemy doesn’t even know it. What is even better is that most of your product makes its way to America. You always say that you will kill the Americans without lifting a fighting hand and you showed how by crippling their youth. By supplying them with opioids, they are killing themselves. He is an American. He is weak when it comes to drugs. Give him a taste of the good stuff and let him beg for more.”

Parwaiz nodded. “He will beg.” A cruel smile decorated his face. “Change my order. Still give him scraps to eat, but start lacing it. Let’s get it into his system without his knowledge. I want to see what he does. Maybe that will get him in the mood as well.” He’d tried once to get his pet to suck his cock and nearly got it bitten in two. If it wasn’t for the fact that his pet had a beautiful set of teeth, he would’ve ordered that they be extracted already.

“I will make arrangements.” Matin moved away. “Before I forget, your barber will arrive tomorrow at six.”

Parwaiz grinned. “Finally. Make sure he knows what I want.”

Matin nodded. He wouldn’t forget. They would finally rid the American of his facial and body hair. After being left unkept for all this time, he appeared more than scruffy. Both men like the pets they used to be silky smooth. He had to admit that since he saw the American all those months ago, that head of blond hair stayed with him during his fantasies. He knew Parwaiz felt the same. “I will make sure.” The phone in his pocket vibrated and he took it out. Parwaiz never carried his own phone. He glanced at the screen and held it to Parwaiz. “It’s your sister.”

Parwaiz smiled. “It’s been a while since I last spoke to her.” He took the phone and moved away. He missed her. Maybe he could convince her to come and visit. She would love to see his new pet.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

Clay groaned as he slowly tried to move his aching body into a better position. He had only a few limited options available to how he could lie down and with the last round of beatings he’d received another option was taken away. He was tired, not only physically, but mentally as well. There were times during the day when he wanted to give up, to give in and speak Pashto. To answer a simple question with a _yes_ answer. But then he would remember who he was, what he was and he would grind his teeth and hold on. His team would come; his brothers would not forsake him.

Without jolting his feet, he turned onto his side and stared at the wall. He had quickly established a routine. He’d found a sliver of a piece of broken glass, it barely fit between his thumb and forefinger. He used it to mark the days he’d been here. He then would push the piece of glass into a small crack in the wall so that he didn’t lose it. Clay had a feeling that he might be off on a day or two, but by his own calculations he’s been here for almost a month.

He shuddered as the thoughts of the humiliation, the torture that he endured threatened to overcome him. He pushed the memories down. Instead, he started with his next book. Clay couldn’t help but to grin. His brothers knew that he loved reading, but what they’d yet to realize was that he had memorized large parts of those books that kept him company when he was still a child. He had already _read_ Alexandre Dumas’ the _Three Musketeers_ to himself. Now it was time for something a bit more challenging.

Clay closed his eyes and started talking softly. “When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton…” **1**

He continued to talk until he finally drifted off to a state of fitful sleep. He wouldn’t stay asleep for long. His survival instinct didn’t let his mind or his body get any real rest. His guards also made sure that he was never alone for more than an hour at a time. They would come in, hose him with ice cold water, beat him with fists or kick him. They would hurl insults at him and there were a few that would even piss on him. He always fought back. It didn’t help much as he was almost as weak as a day old kitten, but he attacked. He would never back down.

The moment the door to his cell opened, Clay was awake and sat up straight. He managed to hide the surprise on his face when it was only one of the guards who entered. He called him Shitface as the man had the same expression on his face, which looked like he smelt shit the whole time. Clay balled his fists. Shitface loved kicking him on the lower legs if he couldn’t get to his groin. He followed the man with his eyes and didn’t show the disgust he felt on his face when his _food_ was dropped on the floor out of his reach. He watched as Shitface spit into it and then left. Clay frowned. There was an expression on Shitface’s face that he’d never seen before. The fact that the goon left without even attempting to assault him made him suspicious. Clay stayed in position for an extra-long time before he finally shuffled towards the shallow bowl and its contents. He managed not to gag at the sight.

“Tonight’s special is slow roasted rats’ tails in piss water with a hint of cumin. Lovely.” Clay had to swallow hard. He’d never tried to make out what it was that he ate. He only ate it because it didn’t matter what it was. He would be stupid not to eat. Even if it only contained two kilojoules, his body needed it. Sometimes it stayed down, other times he wasn’t so lucky.

Clay dipped his fingers into the cold slop, closed his eyes, and shoved the disgusting food into his mouth. He chewed only three times and then swallowed. He held his breath until the feeling of him needing to vomit passed. Only then did he take a second mouthful. After the fifth bite the bowl was empty. Clay picked it up and flung it hard against the wall. It bounced back and landed on the floor next to the door.

“Thank you, chef. Dinner was excellent.”

Clay shuffled back to where he normally slept and curled up into a ball. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep again.

He woke up with a gasp and looked around. “Brian?” Clay grinned as he spotted his best friend standing next to him. “What are you doing here?” Clay tried to get to his feet.

“Stay seated before you face plant.” Brian pressed Clay back to the floor.

“What are you doing here?” Clay asked again.

“Checking up on you. Why else would I be here?” Brian sat down next to Clay and leaned back against the wall. “How are you doing?”

Clay shrugged. “Not too great. I’m struggling. It’s getting harder by the day.”

“You’re in a shitty situation. How did you manage that?”

“I didn’t mean to,” Clay responded softly. He lowered his head.

“I know you didn’t.” Brian wrapped his arm around his friend’s shoulders. “There’s something else that I need to tell you as well before I go.”

Clay frowned. “You’re leaving?”

“I have to.”

“You’re abandoning me.” Clay mumbled something else.

“No. No, Clay. I’m not abandoning you. And neither did your team. You know that. They will never abandon you.”

“Then why haven’t they come to rescue me already?”

Brian sighed. “They’re having some difficulties in finding you. But they will. You know they will.” He cleared his throat. “I need you to promise me something, Clay.”

“What?” Clay didn’t look up.

“Look at me.” Brain squeezed his shoulder and smiled when Clay finally looked up at him. “Things are going to get bad for you here, really bad, but you cannot give up hope. Doesn’t matter what happens, you are not allowed to give up. You understand? You promise? You cannot give up hope. Do not give up hope.”

“Am I going to die?”

“Not if you don’t give up on hope. Promise me. You will not give up.” Brian got to his feet and walked towards the door. “Promise me. I need to hear that you’ll promise me.”

“Wait!” Clay tried to get to his feet. “I can go with you.” He tried to stand up.

“No! You’ll hurt yourself. You cannot come with me. Now is not your time to follow me. You need to stay here. They will find you. Do not give up hope. Promise me!” Brian stepped through the closed door.

“I promise. Brian! Brian!” Clay screamed for his friend before his eyes rolled over in their sockets and as he sunk to the floor, his body started to convulse.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

Matin dabbed his split lip with his handkerchief and glanced at the small blood stain on the white cloth. He still couldn’t believe that Parwaiz hit him. It wasn’t his fault that the American collapsed and had a seizure. It showed how weak he was. He watched as Parwaiz continued to scream and shout at the guards who were supposed to keep an eye on the blue-eyed man. He could read the men’s expressions from where he stood. The American was going to suffer when they got their hands on him.

He had enough of Parwaiz ranting. “I don’t understand what you are going on about, Parwaiz. He is still alive. We didn’t know that the dosage was too much. That’s a normal single dose he was given. Now we know, we’ll make it less. It’s clear that he is weak. You’re not having luck in breaking him with a whip. Give the drugs a chance. Let him become dependent on you. You’ll have him eating out of your hand soon.”

“And if he dies?” Parwaiz turned to his second in command and stormed towards him.

Matin stood his ground. “Then it wasn’t meant to be. Then we take the body, throw it into the desert and forget about it.” He looked at Parwaiz until the man he would follow to his death finally nodded his head.

“You’re right.” Parwaiz slapped him on the shoulder. “You are usually right.”

Matin didn’t say a word. He watched as Parwaiz waved the men away until it was only the two of them and the American left in the room. “You can still sell him.”

Parwaiz snorted. “You know I don’t want to sell him. If I wanted to sell him, I would’ve done that already. I don’t care about the information he might carry in his head on the American’s plans. You know why I took him. He’d be perfect with those blond curls and blue eyes.”

“True, that he is.” Matin looked at the man who had yet to move on the cold floor. “I hope he breaks quickly. Neither of us like them to be overly thin. We want something healthy to fuck, my friend.”

“Once again, you’re right.” Parwaiz stared at the unmoving man. “Place him in one of the guest rooms. Get him proper food. Put the drugs in his water. During the day he will be drugged and pampered. At night he will be starved from the drugs and punished. Let’s see how long he will last then.”

Matin nodded. That treatment would play with the America’s head. It would work perfectly. “I will see to it at once.”

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Joint Expeditionary Base–Little Creek**

**2 Months after the abduction**

Eric stared at Bravo team and sighed softly. The team had been recalled back to the States a month ago. He nearly had a mutiny on his hands when the whole team exploded with anger when the order came from the top for them to return home. It had taken him more than half a day to talk sense into Jason and then the rest of the team, to get them to return home and not to go rogue. It had been the longest flight he’d ever been on.

The debriefing back at the base caused more raptures. Some of the Brass wanted to go so far as to suggest that Clay was part of his own kidnapping. That didn’t go well with Bravo at all.

Now they took it day by day. Their days were divided into going through any intel that might have come in, searching for a keyword or phrase that might lead to Clay, and in the evenings they trained. They trained for any possible rescue mission. Some scenarios included repelling down from a helo under the darkness of night. Trent spent hours bent over medical procedure books. He and the rest of the team had attended every first aid course on base.

The one thing they didn’t do was to go on missions. He was beyond grateful that the Alpha, Charlie and Delta teams understood Bravo’s situation. They covered all of the missions between them and still made sure that whenever Bravo team needed extra hands to practice their rescue scenarios, that they were available to help. Their non-availability for missions had rubbed some of the higher-ups the wrong way, but then Jason Haynes showed them why he was the best of the best in DEVGRU and the fact that all the team leaders went with him to show their support made the Brass to back down. Unfortunately, he knew that they would only back down for so long. There would come a day that they would place Bravo team before an ultimatum where they had to choose. Eric was scared of that choice.

“Listen up, people.” He moved away from the wall. “Last night some chatter was picked up and it was marked and sent to our analysts. It’s not much, but it’s more than we had.” He nodded to Mandy and took his seat next to Jason. He could feel Jason’s eyes boring into the back of his head. He’d failed to notify the master chief when the intel came in. Instead, he decided to let Jason and the team sleep. It wasn’t as if they’d be able to do anything with the information at three in the morning.

Mandy eyed the haggard team in front of her. She knew she looked like them. She cleared her throat and rubbed at her eyes. She’d been having nightmares about the day everything went south. She knew no one on the team, Alpha team, or even the support team blamed her for what happened, but she blamed herself. She knew her guilt was unfounded, even illogical, but it didn’t take the guilt away.

“The chatter came from the Tagab district. It wouldn’t have been picked up, except they used a phrase that made the technician to take note of it.”

“What was said?” Jason tapped his finger on the table top.

“They spoke about the bacha bāzī and later mentioned a fair-haired man with blue eyes.”

The table erupted into total chaos. Everyone spoke, even yelled at the same time. A high pitched whistle from Jason made them all calm down. “What else?”

Mandy shook her head. “They went on to other topics. Nothing made much sense. Our analysts are going through everything again to make sure we haven’t missed anything else.”

“In what context were those words uttered?” Jason continued to tap the table.

“That’s one of the things that doesn’t make sense. The conversation prior to this was on the distribution rights on spices and the parameters which were set out to make sure it is spread equally between all parties and what the tribal leaders thought about it.”

Jason cocked his head. “Spices?” He stated at Mandy and then at Brock. “Are the tribal leaders going to meet on this?”

Mandy shook her head. “We’ve got zero intel on that.”

“Is it a possibility?”

“We’re looking into that.”

Jason growled. “Damn it, Ellis. Don’t give me the run around here. Either you know something or you don’t.”

She wanted to scream, but she knew how frustrating this had been to all of them. “We are unaware of any tribal meetings scheduled for the foreseeable future. However, we are well aware of the fact that tribal leaders can call meetings at a wink of an eye. We don’t know.”

“Have the tribal leaders ever met before about spices?” Trent asked the question as he threw Cerb’s ball to him. He had to smile as Cerberus leapt into the air and caught the ball before it even bounced.

“No.”

“So it’s code for something else.” Jason got to his feet. When Cerberus placed his ball at his feet, he picked it up and threw it to the dog. They were all grateful for Cerberus, their pup kept them all sane with his calm demeanor.

“We believe so, yes.” Mandy pointed to one of many whiteboards that stood against the wall. “We’re in the process of identifying the parties who took part in the chatter. The moment we get that information, we’ll see what else we can come up with.”

“Good.” Jason turned to his team. “Cerberus needs a walk.” He grinned as the whole team got to their feet. It didn’t matter that Brock was Cerb’s handler, they all loved the dog and didn’t mind spending time with him. As the team filed out, he turned to Eric. “Keep me up to date.”

“You know I will.”

Jason nodded and made his way to the door. He stopped when Eric spoke up again.

“I know you’ve got a rescue scenario that you want to run tonight. Move it to tomorrow. The Green team has invited us for a barbeque. It would do all of us good to take some down time.”

Jason cocked his head. “Will Adam be there?”

Eric snorted. “Yes, Seaver will be there.”

“Okay.” Jason turned back to the door, but then spoke again, “I’m not picking someone else in Clay’s place, Blackburn.”

“I know.”

Jason nodded and then exited the room.

Eric watched Lisa, who hadn’t said a word during the whole meeting. “You all right?” 

“Yeah, we need to find our rookie.”

Eric squeezed her shoulder. “I think that with this chatter we picked up, there’s a great possibility that we might get more intel on where Clay is. The more we know, the better our chances are in finding him.”

“Then let’s get working.” Lisa turned to her laptop and started to type away.

Eric took his empty mug and filled it with coffee. It was going to be another long day. He could only hope that by the end of the night, they’d be closer to finding the lost kid. They needed to find Spenser. None of them had said it out loud, but time was starting to run out for the kid. He could only hope that Spenser was still alive.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Undisclosed location: Tagab District**

****5 Months after the abduction** **

**Warning: Explicit rape scene**

Parwaiz grunted as he slammed into the man bent over the side of the bed before him. He raked his hand through the soft curls and yanked the head back. The man had to arch his back if he didn’t want his neck to be snapped. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” He grunted again as his balls slapped against the naked flesh. He released the hold he had over the man’s hair and grabbed him by the hips. He thrust forward, his fingers dug into the creamy white skin beneath his calloused hands as he chased his release that was beyond his reach.

“Tighten up.” He slapped the man hard and screamed as the ring of muscle around his rock-hard dick clamped down around him like a vise. It was all that he needed as he finally reached the peak of his orgasm and he screamed as he emptied himself into the body beneath his. He moaned and groaned as he emptied himself before he gave one final shudder and collapsed forward. Parwaiz didn’t care or hear the grunted yelp of pain beneath him. He stayed where he was until his breath evened out. He then pushed himself up onto his forearms and shimmied backwards. His dick withdrew from the channel and he smiled as he saw the strand of cum that linked him and the body beneath him. He smirked.

“Luckily, I know Matin doesn’t mind sloppy seconds, pet.” He slapped the man on the ass cheek and rolled away. “Clean me up.” He placed his hands behind his head and closed his eyes.

The blond-haired man finally moved from his position on the bed. His blue eyes were glazed over and there was no emotion visible on his face. He crawled the few feet over and managed to slither off the bed before he crawled around and placed himself between Parwaiz’s legs. He used his head to nudge the legs a bit wider before he came up to his knees and started lapping at the spent dick bathing the balls and the shaft in his spit as he complied with the instruction. When the dick was clean, he went back on his heels and waited patiently for the next instruction. Not once did he try to clean himself or seemed to be bothered by the slick that oozed from his abused hole and trickled down the insides of his thighs. He could only think of one thing – he _needed_ it. He needed _water_. He was always so thirsty and he had been a _good_ pet – he’d earned it. But he didn’t ask or beg. He knew if he did that he would be punished. It was only bad pets that got punished. He didn’t want to be a bad pet.

Parwaiz finally pulled himself up from the bed. He petted the blond and reached for his dressing gown. “Go to Matin, he’s expecting you.” He looked on as his pretty plaything crawled out of the room and he smiled. The American was even better than what he could have imagined. Just thinking about him made his dick twitch. He would send word to Matin to send the pet back to him. They would keep him busy the whole night. Tomorrow was the start of the tribal meetings and it would be the first time he would show off his pet. They would have him drugged to the gills and pliant for anyone to use. He, for one, was never a selfish man.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Joint Expeditionary Base–Little Creek**

Sonny stood in front of the whiteboard. The rest of the room was devoid of life. He lifted the beer he had in his hand and took a long swig. He used the back of his hand to wipe his mouth. “Fuck.” He stumbled backwards, knocked his hip against a table, managed to stay on his feet, but with rage flung the now empty beer bottle against the wall. It shattered into pieces. Sonny stumbled over his own feet and landed on his ass. He stayed where he was.

They had failed the kid. Although he would never say it out loud, he knew that they were too late to rescue Clay. If they would get word on where he was, they would go in for a recovery, not for a rescue. Sonny drew his legs up to his chest and rested his arms on his knees. “I’m sorry, Kid. I’m truly sorry.”

Sonny wept.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

Brock sat next to Cerberus and held the dog close to his chest. He lowered his head and inhaled Cerberus’ scent. The soft hair tickled his nose, but he didn’t move away. He needed the closeness. He needed to know that Cerb loved him, that the dog trusted him.

Brock smiled as Cerberus moved away and licked him in the face. “I know, boy. I love you too.” He petted Cerberus’ head and hugged the large dog once more.

“I don’t think we’ll be in time, Cerb. I don’t think we’ll see Clay again. Not alive.” Brock leaned back on the sand and stared at the sky. He could hear the sea in the background and even though it was a sunny day, he didn’t feel the warmth of the sun on him. Inside, he felt cold – dead. They had failed.

Tears streamed down his face and even Cerberus sat down next to him and howled.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

When the marker refused to highlight the words on the page, Trent took the marker between his hands and snapped it in two. With a roar he got to his feet and swiped all of the medical books clear off the table. He couldn’t he stand looking at the terms any longer. He’d had to make sure he knew the symptoms of every fucking possible condition Clay could have, but now he needed it out of his head. There was no use. It was time that they all faced reality.

Trent peered down at his hands. They trembled and he balled his fists. He would not check for any pulse on Clay again. He would never feel the fiery temperature of the young man who ran hotter than hot. They hadn’t done their duty. They hadn’t kept Clay safe. They’d failed him.

Trent screamed as he slammed his fists into the large window in front of him. The spidery cracks ran up and down the window pane as he cried.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

Ray pushed the sniper rifle away from him as he jumped to his feet. He couldn’t take this anymore. He couldn’t sit here. They didn’t do anything. Not one thing. His knee bumped against the low table and the brush he used to clean the rifle clattered to the floor. Ray tracked its downward movement in slow motion. It felt like ages before the tiny brush hit the floor. It bounced once, twice before it stayed down.

His chest tightened and he closed his eyes to try and calm his own breathing. He could feel his heart thumping in his chest. His fist clenched his shirt as he tried to pry it away from his chest. He was suffocating and he gasped for air. They had failed their rookie. They had failed the one member of their team that still had a full life in front of him. Clay didn’t deserve to die. Not like this.

Ray sobbed.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

Jason lifted the mug of coffee to his mouth but then slammed it back onto the counter. The hot liquid splashed over the rim and burned his fingers, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t care. What did it matter if he suffered from a few red fingers for a day or two when Clay still suffered each day? He pushed down the little voice that told him Clay didn’t suffer any more. If that was the case, it meant the unthinkable and he couldn’t let that happen. Not while he was Bravo one. They were the best there was, so why wasn’t that good enough?

He lowered his head and tried not to blink. The moment he blinked the tears would start, and he had no idea if he’d be able to get them to stop. “I’m sorry.” Jason swallowed. “I’m sorry we failed you.”

Jason blinked and the first tear fell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. The Fellowship of the Ring: Book one - Chapter 1 A long-expected party


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**6 Months after the abduction**

“Bingo.” Mandy sat back and smiled. She glanced around and frowned when she saw the room around her devoid of any other life. She looked at her watch and cringed. It was no wonder she was the only one left. It was two in the morning. But, with what she had, this room would be buzzing with life within the next twenty minutes.

She got to her feet and stretched out her aching body. Staying seated in one position for hours on end was something that she was used to, but even for her the time she spent hunched over her laptop this time around was a new record.

Mandy knew she had to call Blackburn, hell, she had to call Jason first before she phoned Eric, but they would pepper her with questions and she had to make sure she had all the answers. She turned her attention to an almost empty whiteboard and grinned. It was finally time to fill it up. She took a red marker and started to write.

It took her almost an hour, but, finally, she had everything she knew on the board. It was structured in such a way that Bravo Team would immediately follow what was going on. She turned to her laptop and entered certain commands. The photo printer connected to her laptop came to life as it started printing the photos she’d downloaded.

Mandy took the photos and stuck the photos next to each name. She smirked as she stared at the only woman’s photo on the board. “Your days are counted, bitch.” Mandy resisted the urge to stab the photo with a pair of scissors. Only when all the photos were on the board did she pull out her phone. It was time to bring Clay back.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

Mandy looked up as the door to the room opened. “There’s coffee.” She indicated to the tray of take out coffees that had been delivered minutes ago. It was from the coffee shop around the corner of the base. She knew the whole of Bravo team loved the coffee from there.

“What do you have?” Jason ignored the coffee as he cleared his throat.

“Have a look at the board and I’ll explain when everyone is here.” Mandy walked past Jason, picked up one of the coffees and handed it to him. “Drink. You will need it.”

Jason grunted but took the offered coffee. He sighed as the hot liquid coated his tongue and the inside of his mouth.

“There’s donuts as well.”

“Are we celebrating?” He couldn’t help to let the hope lace through his words.

“I’m certain we are.”

Jason wanted to ask for more, but the door opened behind him and watched as the rest of his team entered. Davis and Blackburn brought up the rear. He cringed as he took in how they look. They could be summed up with a single word – crap. “Get coffee and donuts. Sit down and listen,” he addressed Bravo team as he took his own seat.

None of the others spoke, but did as ordered. Mandy couldn’t help but notice that none of them took a sip of their coffee or a bite out of their donuts.

“Eat,” Jason ordered as he took a bite of his own donut. He had a feeling they needed the energy from the sweetened oily treats.

“What’s going on?” Sonny huffed and picked the sprinkles from the donut. He could never understand why they would put sprinkles on donuts. It wasn’t right.

“I found out who has Clay.”

Seven heads snapped up. All seven started to talk at the same time. Mandy tried to answer the questions as they got fired off, but they continued to talk over one another. No one heard what she said. A shrill whistle sounded and the voices died down.

“You’re not joking.”

Mandy glared at Jason. “Do you for one moment think I would joke about something like this?”

“Sorry. Sorry. But you know what I mean.” Jason held up his hands in surrender.

She nodded at him and then rolled the board closer to the table. The team all sat forward in their chairs. She had a feeling they recognized at least three persons on the board. She tapped on the bottom of the board.

“Let me start at the bottom and work my way up. First, we’ve got Adin. Where we thought that he might be a major player, I can now tell you, we had it wrong. Let’s call him a front man, but in reality, he is worthless.”

Mandy tapped on the next photo. “Hadiah.” She sighed. “She played us all and she did a fantastic job in doing that.” They were all still pissed that the woman managed to disappear, but Mandy had a feeling she knew where the woman might be.

“She’s the link between these two men.” Mandy pointed to two photos. “We finally got a photo of the man indicated we know as Jamal. His full name is Jamal Ghafoor and the intel that came through is that he’s Hadiah’s lover.”

“Seriously?” Sonny stood perplexed.

Mandy smiled. “Yes, but more importantly, Jamal not only answers to Hadiah, but also to her brother.” Mandy tapped one of the remaining photographs. “This is Javid Parwaiz. He is one of the upcoming tribal leaders and up to now has not been taken seriously by the tribal council as he’s seen as being too young to be a leader. Unfortunately, he’s the eldest in the Parwaiz line and by blood, he claimed the spot on the council. Our intel indicates that it didn’t go down well with the rest of the tribes. That and other questionable acts he participated in.” Mandy took a breath. “I’ll come back to him.”

“This is Matin Khalil. He is Parwaiz’s second in command. But, more importantly, he is a cousin to Firooz.”

“Our human trafficking scum.” Ray balled his fists and cocked his head. “Fuck.” Blood drained from his face. “If Firooz is the cousin to Matin then they all might be involved in a human trafficking ring.”

Silence settled around the table.

“Please tell me that’s not true.” It was Sonny who spoke up.

Mandy bowed her head. “Remember the piece of chatter we picked up three months ago about the bacha bāzī? It seemed that Parwaiz is supportive of the practice and he has no problem in letting the men in his tribe keep male children on as dancing boys. This is another reason why the other tribes do not see him as a fit and proper leader.”

“Clay was the fair-haired blue-eyed man they spoke about.” Jason came to his feet. When they had gotten the intel three months ago, the analysts had felt that it was too generic to be linked to Clay and it was disregarded. He wanted to throw a fit about it, but it wouldn’t help. It was too late for that.

“Yes,” Mandy stated firmly. “The reference to spices we now believe had to do with drugs.”

“Opium.” Jason stood next to the board.

“Yes,” Mandy confirmed. “They smuggle it out of the country in spice bags. The legal spice trade is more and more used to export opium across the border. Since the Afghan border security are spread so thin and don’t have the necessary tools, including sniffer dogs to assist them, more and more opium gets across the border through the spices.”

“Did the tribal meeting take place three months ago?” Trent asked as he also slowly rose to his feet.

“Yes, it did. That’s the same meeting where four of the elder tribal leaders were killed in what was initially thought to have been an accident.”

“That’s no longer the belief?” Eric crossed his arms over his chest.

“No.” Mandy moved to the second whiteboard. “All four the leaders that were killed opposed Parwaiz openly. The four new leaders to the tribes are all firmly in Parwaiz’s camp.”

“Do we have any intel on what happened at the meeting?”

“No, Jason, we don’t.” Mandy sighed. “That was due to the fact that we didn’t know about the meeting beforehand. We now believe that the meeting was called by Parwaiz. Unfortunately, it also meant that we had no satellite or drone in the area to have eyes on the meeting.”

“Do we know where Parwaiz’s tribe is situated?”

“Yes, we do.” This time Mandy smiled. “It’s in the Tagab district, situated in the eastern part of the Kapisa Province. I’ve already received permission to get a satellite over the region. It will move into position within the next three hours.”

“When will we spin up?” Jason addressed Eric.

“Give me an hour and we’ll be on our way.” Eric got to his own feet. They were finally going to get their rookie back. He pushed down the thoughts that they might be too late.

“Great. Bravo team, time to check out and gear up.” Jason turned to Mandy. “Thank you.”

Mandy smiled. “I’ll take the thanks when we have Clay back.”

“And you will get it then.” Jason gazed at the board with the faces pinned to it. He’d already memorized each one. He would personally kill each and everyone if they were indeed involved in Clay’s abduction and subsequent detention.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Afghanistan: 24 Hours later**

**Helo in route to Kapisa Province**

Ray leaned forward as the rest of the team huddled in the center of the helicopter. “I know we’re all thinking about the same question, but someone has to ask it,” he screamed over the noise of the helo. He glanced at Jason. “Will the kid still be there?” He didn’t share his private thoughts – the dark thoughts. With the new intel they got, a new spark of hope was ignited, but it was still too small for it to blossom into real hope.

Jason looked at his best friend and then at the rest of his team, his extended family and he nodded his head. “Yes,” he said it with conviction.

“What about his blond hair and blue eyes?” It was Sonny’s turn to yell.

Jason shook his head. “He’s there. I don’t know why, but he’s there.”

“There would’ve been more chatter in the air if he was sold.” Trent stared at his teammates. “One terrorist group or another would’ve bought him the moment he went up for sale. They would’ve said he’s an American, would’ve added that he’s military. When they took him and they knew he was a SEAL, they would’ve definitely told that to every potential buyer. If he was bought, they would’ve made a scene out of it to behead him on live television. I agree with Jason. He’s still there.”

“What’s the chances that this has to do to with Shapur’s abduction?” Brock scratched Cerberus’ ears.

The team gazed at one another and Jason reached for the comms on his jacket. “Bravo one to TOC.”

_“Receiving you loud and clear, Bravo one.”_

“Send someone over to the site where we found Shapur. There might be a connection that we’ve missed. Let them level the place to the ground.”

_“You think we might have missed something?”_

“The possibility is there.”

_“We’ll look into that. TOC out.”_

“I’m going to kill each and every one of them if even a hair is out of place on the kid’s head,” Sonny growled.

“Get in line, Sonny,” Ray and Jason spoke up as one. They fist bumped and grinned.

There would be hell to pay if they found the persons responsible for taking and harming Clay. They were not naïve. Clay would be harmed. They had no idea on how bad it would be. There was a reason for the second helo that followed their tail. It was a medevac helicopter that would transport Clay and Trent directly from where they found him to the military hospital on base in Kabul. The helicopter was theirs for the duration of the time it would take to find their missing teammate. They hoped it wouldn’t take them more than twenty-four hours. The third helo held Alpha Team. The fourth helo carried the Tier Two members of both the Tier One teams. They would all go in with Bravo to get Clay and return him home.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Kapisa Province: Alasay District**

The team cleared the house within mere minutes. They knew it was empty from the intel given to them through Davis, but they still made sure before they settled in. Jason had already contacted TOC while Ray and Brock set up the laptops they’d be using for the operation.

The drone they would use to check out what was going on at Parwaiz’s compound would be overhead in the next few hours. They would take twenty-four hours to establish how many people there were, including their targets and their movements. Then they would come up with a feasible plan.

“Perimeter clear, Alpha team keeping guard,” Sonny reported as he and Trent came in.

Jason grabbed Trent and sat him down. “I know you don’t want to do this, but we need to go over everything that might be wrong with Clay. And I mean everything.”

“Seriously, Jason?” Trent shook his head but as he watched his brothers’ faces, he knew he had to go through the list. “Hell, man. You know as well as I do what kind of torture they might have used on the kid. There’s no way I can tell, or for that matter even guess, what they did.”

“I can think of a few.” Sonny removed the match he had in his mouth. “Sliced up feet. Broken toes. Broken feet and or broken legs. Smashed kneecaps.”

Ray closed his eyes. “Broken fingers. Fingernails removed. Hands crushed. Arms broken. Clavicles broken or dislocated.”

“Broken ribs. Broken chest bone. Burns over his body. Damaged lungs, maybe even a punctured lung. Internal organ damage. Loss of blood.” Jason dragged his hand over his face. He appeared haggard.

“Loss of vision, loss of hearing. Tongue removed. Teeth extracted. Damage to his spine. Concussed. Brain damage,” Brock’s voice sounded last.

“Stop! Fuck! Why don’t you say it? The only fucking thing you all left out is death. That Clay is dead!” Trent pulled back and slammed his fist through the wall. He got pulled back by Jason and Brock.

“Dead,” Jason said the word and looked at his brothers. “We have all thought about it at one stage or another. We’re all hoping, praying that it is not so. But he’s been held captive for six months. And if we find him and he’s no longer alive, then we will still bring him home. We will not leave here without him.”

“We will not fail him.” Trent stared at Jason, Ray, Brock and Sonny. He saw the pain in their eyes and knew it was reflected in his own. But he also saw hope, and he knew that there was still hope left. He took a deep breath. “Let’s bring the kid home.”

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Tagab District: Parwaiz’s Compound**

Hadiah sneered in disgust as her brother’s _pet_ crawled past her. “I still can’t believe you haven’t grown tired of him.”

Parwaiz smirked. “And why would I? How many people can say that they have an American as a pet?” He laughed out loud. He watched as his pet crawled to his side where he curled up next to him. Not once did he look up. Parwaiz saw the shivers rake through his wiry body and frowned. He scanned for Matin, but didn’t see his second in command. He got to his feet. “Stay,” he ordered his pet as he tried to get to his hands and knees to follow.

“No!” Hadiah got to her own feet. “If you’re going to leave, let him follow you. I don’t want to be alone with him.”

Parwaiz frowned. “You are starting to sound like your husband, Hadiah.”

His sister hissed at him. “How dare you compare me with that man, Javid? I am nothing like him.”

Parwaiz shook his head. “Then stop moaning.” He cocked his head. The question about why his pet appeared ill forgotten for a moment. “Why are you here in any case? I thought you hated it here.”

“I do hate it here, but someone had to make sure our latest shipment arrived here safely, and since it is clear that your men can’t do their job without proper supervision, I had to come.”

Parwaiz moved quickly and before Hadiah could move, he struck her through the face. “Remember who you are talking to, sister. You are still a woman.”

Hadiah lowered her head as she kept her hand on her cheek. It stung and she had to blink a few times before the tears in her eyes lessened. “Forgive me, brother. I have spoken out of turn.”

Parwaiz looked at her. She was a strong woman. She was also manipulative and had a dangerous streak in her. Yet, she also had the ability to fool many into believing that she posed no threat. She had killed more men than what anyone would believe. He also knew she wouldn’t hesitate to kill him if she could. At the moment, he was safe. She needed him.

“Your oldest son is due back from a hunting trip with some of my men. Why don’t you go and see that a feast is prepared for him? I hear he did well.”

Hadiah bowed. A small smile decorated her face. She loved her oldest son. Jansher was almost a man. He would become a great tribal leader. As Parwaiz had no male offspring of his own, the tribe would belong to him when Parwaiz no longer lived. Hopefully that would happen sooner rather than later.

“That is a good idea.”

She turned and left, but not before she kicked Parwaiz’s pet hard in the side. He hadn’t done anything to her, but she kicked him because she could. And maybe, just maybe it was time to let him have an accident, or something similar and let him die. An idea formed in her head. She needed a test subject before she could put her plan into action. This would be the perfect opportunity and she would get rid of the filthy thing. She hated the American.

Parwaiz rolled his eyes as his sister left the room. He glanced down at his pet and he had to smile. Hadiah had kicked him hard, but he didn’t make a sound or even move an inch. He was really well trained. He frowned as he saw him shivering again.

“Matin! Matin!” Parwaiz called out. “What is going on with my pet? Is he ill? Matin, Matin!” he called out again as he started searching the house for his second in command.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

There was something wrong, but he couldn’t tell what it was. His muscles ached, more than usual. His head felt fuzzy and he couldn’t stop trembling. He felt cold but could feel the sweat dripping from his forehead. He hated the shivers that ran through him, he wanted it to stop. He groaned as his stomach cramped up. Even his heart rate increased.

He heard a voice, it sounded angry and for a moment he felt scared. Raised voices meant trouble for him. Images flashed in front of his eyes. Whips, fists, boots all connected with his face and his body. He could feel the lashes as they slashed into his skin. Bones broke beneath the boots that kicked him. He couldn’t help but whimper and tried to curl into a small ball. His stomach protested at the sudden movement and he had to swallow hard not to throw up. He hated feeling like this.

He didn’t want to feel this way. Something in him screamed at him, told him to stand up, to get to his feet and to get help. To find someone who cared and who’d helped. He never listened to that small voice. That voice was wrong. He couldn’t stand up. He couldn’t get to his feet to walk. No one would help him. He didn’t deserve to be helped. Besides, pets didn’t walk, they crawled.

Out of instinct, he shuffled back as a shadow landed on him. He was grabbed by the hair and all the fight he had in him left him. He became pliant as he waited for an order. His lower body ached as he knew what was about to happen and for a split second, he wanted to object, but he pushed the thought deep down even before it could manifest into something more.

But then something pressed against his lips and he opened them immediately. He frowned. It wasn’t what he had been expected, but as the cool water coated the inside of his mouth, he swallowed and he couldn’t help to sigh as the thirst he had but hadn’t realized, subsided. He felt calmer. The bottle was removed and he wanted to chase after it, but the hand on his head kept him from reaching for it. He managed to take a few calming breaths and then the bottle was pressed against his lips again. He moaned as he swallowed more of the cold water. It always tasted strange, but after drinking it for so long he’d gotten used to the taste. It was strange, sometimes he would crave for more. He always had to ask for water. It was something he could never get on his own.

The hold on his hair fell away and he lowered himself to the floor. He could still feel the trembles in his arms and legs, but it seemed like he was starting to feel better. He blinked as objects around him came into focus. He was in the main room of the house. He could see two pairs of sandals. He knew both pairs very well. They belonged to the one who owned him and his right hand man. He knew their names, but wouldn’t say them. He knew every person, young or old, but he only said their names in his head. He never spoke them out loud. He wasn’t sure why he didn’t say them out loud, he just did it. He knew more than their names. He knew if they were right, or left handed. He knew their favorite thing to eat, to drink. He’d filed it all away for someone, for something. He had to admit, he didn’t know exactly why, only that it was important. That it was expected from him.

A name popped into his head. _Brian_. He blinked and he saw a face. It appeared familiar, but he couldn’t place it between all the people he saw here. He tried to think, but it made his head hurt. He shook his head. He didn’t want to feel the pain. He wouldn’t be helped if he felt pain. Pets didn’t feel pain. They took what was handed out to them. If it was pain, so be it. If it was pleasure, so be it. Not that he ever experienced pleasure. Not of any kind. It was either pain or nothing. He always wished for nothing. Although, pain made him believe that he was alive. It meant that he did something wrong. He normally he didn’t mean to do wrong, but it happened. He was still a new pet. He had a lot to learn.

The face he saw a few seconds ago popped into his head again. It was as if he had to remember something, but his brain didn’t want to work. He tried to concentrate, he did, but things started to shift around him. He felt floaty. He loved feeling floaty. He sighed, closed his eyes and let the feeling drift over him. He would stay where he was until a sharp pull on his hair told him his services were needed.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

Parwaiz was furious. It had taken him almost five months to finally break the American and if he hadn’t see the tremors, his pet would’ve started to come out of his continued state of being drugged to the gills, and then there would’ve been chaos.

He glanced down at where the man lay curled up on his side. His body finally still and his breathing steady. Parwaiz wouldn’t admit it to anyone else, but he hated the fact that the American had lost all of the fight he had in him. He was an extremely good fighter. It always took five or more of his men to take him down. He would’ve loved to use the American to train his men, but that was a mere dream and nothing more. There was no way he would ever trust him with a weapon of any sort. It was also the reason that he made sure his pet never got his hands on any utensil, and even on those nights where he used the American to warm his bed and to calm his urges, there were always at least six men stationed outside of his bedroom door.

“Find out who was supposed to give him his water last night and this morning. Find them and make an example out of them in front of every member of this household,” Parwaiz snapped at Matin. He wouldn’t allow such laxity in his own home.

Parwaiz reached down and grabbed his pet by the hair. The long golden locks curled above his collarbone while the rest of his body was hair free. He’d paid a lot of money to keep his pet clean from body hair. He was already making plans to get all of his pet’s hair permanently removed.

He kept the hold he had on his pet’s head and with the other hand he took himself out of his baggy trousers and pushed his pet’s head against his hardened length. He sighed with content as his pet took him into his mouth.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Occupied house: Bravo Team**

“Just how big is this fucking asshole’s family?” Sonny griped as he made another entry of a male exiting one of the buildings they had on satellite.

“The whole tribe lives in the same compound.” Jason rubbed his eyes. It was nearly time for them to swap. He and Sonny had taken the first watch to see what they could gain from the satellite images sent to them. After many hours, they didn’t have much intel, except that there were a large number of people in the compound.

The main house consisted of three levels. From the number of people who entered and exited the building, they estimated around twenty to thirty people lived in the house. There was a total of eight other buildings in the compound as well. Two of those were two-story. They were on either side of the main house. All of the other extra buildings were built around the three larger houses in some sort of perimeter.

A large enclosure on the western side appeared like a paddock of some sort. But, except for a few dogs, the whole compound was devoid of any other signs of animal life.

He watched the grainy image again and frowned. “What the fuck?” He leaned forward and pressed his finger on the screen. “Where the fuck did they come from?”

Sonny also leaned forward in his seat. “They were not there five seconds ago.” He used his finger and pointed to the building closest to the images. “This building.”

Both men looked on as what appeared to be a group of between five and ten people all stayed close together as they moved forward. Four individuals formed some sort of a guard around the outside of them.

Jason’s gut churned as he glared at the image. “Children.” He swallowed hard. “Bacha bāzī.” He looked over at Sonny.

“We’re going to need more help with the extraction, Boss.”

Jason agreed. There was no way that he would leave any child behind. They continued to watch until the images disappeared again. They went into the same building as what they exited from. “Reinforced so it doesn’t emit any heat signatures.” They had been under the impression that the building was empty. Jason watched the main house again. It also meant that there could be more than three levels to the house. Things just got more complicated.

“Shit,” Sonny cursed. “It means there can be double the more people in that compound than what we might see.”

Jason sighed and leaned back in his chair. “We’ll work it out.” He watched as Trent and Brock entered the room. It was time for them to take over so he and Sonny could get some rest, but with what they just learned, he knew neither of them would get any rest. “Grab some chairs. Things just became a lot more complicated.” He quickly explained what he and Sonny noted, and then got to his feet. He needed to talk to Blackburn. They would need an extra helo to transport the children. He also had to get Ray and speak to him, and see what kind of plan they could hack out.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

Jason finally relaxed back into his chair and looked at his team, Alpha team as well as the Tier Two teams who were all cramped into the small house. Their first twenty-four hours were up and they had a good idea on what was going on in the compound. All of the houses were marked out on the floor, each with the number of people thought to occupy each building marked on the roofs. With the grainy imaging of the satellite, it was difficult to say how many men and women there were, but at least they had the numbers down to a close estimate of the exact total. He was still pissed that the drone couldn’t be used in the pre-mission, but the thing acted up and they didn’t want to send it in and risk being exposed should it crash. It would send Parwaiz and the tribe scurrying for the mountains and that wasn’t something they wanted to happen.

They would breach the compound wall on the southern side. It was the farthest point away from the buildings. They would go in swiftly and quietly. They would work from the outside to the inside where the main house was. Alpha team would be responsible for breaching the building where the kids were held, while Bravo team and a part of their Tier Two team would deal with the main house itself. The rest of the Tier Two teams would be responsible for the other outbuildings, as well as their safe exfil after a hole was blown on the northern side of the wall to get out of. The Tier Two teams would also lend assistance in extracting all of the major players they could get their hands on during the search for Clay.

“Get some rest. We’ll be moving out at 2100.” They’d reach the compound by twenty-one-twenty at the latest and then jog the remaining two klicks to their breaching point. They’d picked up that the compound settled in for the night around seven. At nine, there was minimum movement seen inside the compound. Jason got to his own feet and moved to the door. He and Bravo team would not rest. None of them would be able to sleep now. They all met outside, and sat with their backs against the wall.

“We’re bringing him home.” Sonny’s voice sounded through the air and he raised his fist towards his brothers. They all fist bumped in agreement and then settled in close to one another, each one with his private thoughts as they waited for the time to finally pass so that they could get to their kid brother and unite their team once again.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Parwaiz’s Compound**

**2215**

Clay stirred in his sleep. He tried to keep still, moving around too much made his body ache even more, but he found it difficult tonight. He still _felt_ wrong. There was something going on inside of his body that wasn’t supposed to go on. He had no idea on how to describe it. He’d wanted to ask for help, but since he wasn’t asked a question, he couldn’t speak and it didn’t matter how weird he felt, he didn’t want to be flayed open with a whip. It was better to keep quiet. Then, there were the images of men dressed in black, which changed into desert camo and then forest camo that kept interfering with his dreams. The face he saw earlier, the one who appeared familiar, but couldn’t place, kept on flashing in front of his eyes.

“Be ready.”

Clay gasped for air and looked around. He was alone in his room. The door stood open and he could see the shadows of the guards in the hall, but there was no one in the room who could’ve spoken up.

_“Be ready.”_

Clay fell from the low bed and landed on his knees. He managed not to grunt in pain as it felt like his stomach was stabbed with a hot poker. Instead he concentrated on the words he heard. He understood the words spoken, but at the same time they didn’t make sense. It wasn’t Pashto. He knew the language, but he couldn’t place it. With difficulty he managed to crawl towards the door.

_“Be ready. Your team is coming.”_

“Team?” The word sounded strange on his tongue. “Team.” He repeated it again. He continued to crawl even as his arms trembled and threatened to give way underneath his weight.

“Where are you going?” The guard closest to the door spoke up as he saw Parwaiz’s pet sticking his head out of the door. He hated the thing that crawled on his hands and knees and couldn’t help but sneer as he addressed him. They had no instructions for him to go to Parwaiz’s room or Matin’s room for that matter.

Clay stared up. “Team?” He whispered the question. The pain consumed him and he didn’t even realize that he broke rule one.

The guard frowned. He didn’t speak English. “What did you say?” He stepped closer. He couldn’t believe the thing called pet spoke in English. A grin appeared on his face. “I can finally punish you.” It was something that he had wanted to do for a very long time. “You know English is not allowed.” He closed the distance between them and without any hesitation, kicked. His first kick made contact with Clay’s jaw and it sent him flying towards the wall. He followed it up with a second kick that connected with Clay’s left side.

Clay saw the boot coming towards his face, but his body didn’t want to move out of the way. He groaned out in agony as the first kick connected. He knew he wasn’t allowed to make any noise when he was punished and he tried to stifle the cry that escaped when the booted foot connected for a second time with his ribs. Clay managed to curl himself up even as the aching in his abdomen flared up, and he tried to protect his head, but failed. His face throbbed, after the kick. His jaw felt strange and when he swallowed, he could taste the blood that went down his throat. Luckily, his stomach was empty or he would’ve hurled right there where he lay on the floor. His ears rang and dark spots circled in front of his eyes.

_“They are here.”_

It was the last thing Clay heard before the darkness finally claimed him. He did not see the black clothed team of five and a dog enter the hall. He didn’t see as they took the six guards out with double taps, or how Cerberus crawled to him and stayed at his side while the team cleared the rest of the rooms. He didn’t see as Brian’s spirit stood guard until Bravo team returned and then disappeared into nothingness.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Afghanistan: Kabul Province**

**Local hospital: 8 hours later**

Jason opened his eyes and looked around. The rest of Bravo team still rested with their eyes closed. He knew the moment he moved they would all be alert, so he stayed where he was. His eye caught the door through which they came eight hours ago. It felt like a lifetime ago, and at the same time it felt like only a mere minute had passed.

They had managed to breach the southern wall with no trouble. The teams had spread out and when everyone was in place, Jason gave the order to breach the doors simultaneously. He’d led at the front and they had cleared the west wing of the ground floor without meeting anyone. In the east wing they found what appeared to be guest bedrooms, all empty, except one. They had captured two females and left them bound and gagged for extraction later on.

The third wing of the lower level contained the kitchen area. Jason was surprised to see how modernized it was. It was also there that they found a door that wasn’t supposed to be there, and he knew then that there was indeed at least one lower level to the house. He used his comms to alert all the teams on what they found, and then he had to make a decision. Did they breach the door or did they clear the rest of the house first? He didn’t want to split the team up, but his gut told him that they would more likely find Clay downstairs than up.

Movement on the floor above them made the decision easy. They would clear the rest of the house first. He called two SEALs of the Tier Two team to guard the door. If anyone came out, they were to take care of them and inform Bravo team of the activity. Jason glanced over at Ray and when his second in command nodded, he knew he made the right decision.

They moved back to the main hall and ascended the stairs to the first level. It consisted of several bedrooms. Most contained couples, all asleep and taken down quickly and quietly. They found one room where a family of five stayed. They’d managed to secure the male in the room and tied him up. They didn’t tie the woman up, not because they didn’t want to, but at the stage when they found the room she was breastfeeding. The other two children didn’t look older than three years and by the two identical faces that he got a glimpse of, he was sure they were twins. They’d locked the door from the outside after they made sure she couldn’t get out through a window and they also removed all phones.

The top floor of the house brought them more surprises. There were guards situated at the end of the hall. They were all asleep and Bravo team took them out without much difficulty. The first room they opened made them grin. They had found Hadiah and when she reached for a weapon next to the bed, he didn’t hesitate one second as he took her out with a double tap.

The shots woke up the man next to her in the bed, and as he scrambled for a weapon, they also took care of him. From the lifeless body that stared at them, they identified him as the one called Jamal. Unfortunately, he also managed to shout out before he was silenced, and by the movement in the rest of the house, their element of surprise finally come to an end.

Bravo team moved from room to room. They took out everyone who either reached for a weapon or who pointed a weapon at them. They captured more people and secured them for extraction. What they did realize, was that they couldn’t find the two men identified as Matin or Parwaiz. Jason put the thought out of his head. They would worry about them later. Now, they still had to find Clay.

They made their way back down the stairs and went back through the kitchen. The door was still closed, and Jason nodded to the two SEALs who remained in their positions.

They didn’t have to breach the door as it wasn’t locked and they entered the narrow passage in single file. The passage was dimly lit, but devoid of life. At the end of the passage Jason lifted his fist and the team halted in their tracks. They could hear a voice around the corner. It sounded angry.

Jason rounded the corner first. When he saw the guard kicking out at Clay, he pulled the trigger and took the guard out. By the time he’d taken out the man who assaulted Clay, the rest of the team had taken out the other guards. It had nearly killed Jason to leave Clay where he was to clear the rest of the lower level.

It didn’t surprise Jason to find that Trent was back first. He’d watched as Trent carefully turned the naked man around. All of them hissed at the damage done to the kid’s jaw. Jason wanted to kill the guard again. Trent tried to get Clay to wake up, but their young brother remained unconscious. Their medic was stoic, only telling them that Clay had a pulse and that he was breathing. They had managed to get Clay on a backboard and with the Second Tier group acting as security, they carried Clay out to the waiting medevac helo. Trent went with him and it was then that Jason realized how bad it was.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

Jason got pulled out of his musings when the door opened up and Trent walked through. His brother was dead on his feet. Jason got to his own feet. “Is he alive?”

“Yes.” Trent moved into the seat Jason vacated. He nodded as his team leader handed him a bottle of water. He unscrewed the cap and gulped the water down. He didn’t lower the bottle until it was empty. Trent sighed and closed his eyes. He sat quietly until he could feel the rest of Bravo team getting restless around him. He opened his eyes and looked at the men he called family.

“They’re still busy with him. They took him to the OR. It’s going to take another few hours.”

“WHAT?” Sonny blanched at Trent’s words. “Has he been in surgery for the past eight hours?”

Trent shook his head. “No. We were in the ER for the first two hours.” He gazed at his brothers. He didn’t want to tell them, but things like this had a tendency to come out when it wasn’t supposed to and it was better if they heard it from him.

“First his fever spiked and then he started seizing in the helo, and we thought it was a result of the head trauma he suffered. That bastard’s boot connected hard with his head. But we were wrong.” Trent bowed his head. He was bone tired. He glanced up again as he knew he needed to tell the team, and the sooner he did that the better. “The seizure was not a result of the head trauma.” He took a deep breath. “He was poisoned.”

The whole team got to their feet, they were all yelling at the same time, asking questions he didn’t have any answers to. Not yet in any case.

“I don’t know who poisoned him or with what. They’ve drawn blood to see if they can establish what the poison was. The rush blood work came back, but the readings were all over the place. None of it made sense. The same with the tox screen they did. It even showed he had opioids in his system. We all know Clay doesn’t do drugs and we checked him out for any track marks to see if they used drugs on him, but nothing. They pushed fluids in him to see if they could flush most of the poison out of his body. The tox screen will be run again in a few hours to see if they can get a better reading and by then his blood work will also be back.”

Jason interlocked his fingers at the back of his head. “What else?”

“Concussion, dislocated jawbone, slow internal bleeding. But, with that they’re not sure if it’s because of trauma or because of the poisoning. Old broken bones that weren’t properly set. The doctors are concerned about his feet. Especially the left. The talus bone sustained three different breaks. The last one about a month old. They’re waiting for an orthopedic surgeon to join them before they work on his feet as well as the breaks he sustained on his legs, upper and lower, and his arms. He’s going to need reconstructive surgery on his back if they want to get rid of all the scars.” Trent wanted to continue, but Sonny interrupted him.

“What caused the scars?”

Trent stared at Sonny before he answered. “He was beaten by what they suspect was some sort of whip. Almost all of the scars are healed. One or two seem more recent, but have already scabbed over and there’s no infection.”

“So, in short tortured and tortured hard,” Sonny summed it up.

”Yes.” There was one piece of information he didn’t share with the team and he couldn’t. It wasn’t his place to share. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was present when they turned him over on his side to have a look at his back, he wouldn’t have known about it either. He had done one thing for his brother and that was to obtain a rape kit. (He was surprised that they had something like that.) He took the samples himself. Clay had torn badly. There was active bleeding and he knew they would do a deeper examination while he was in the operating room. They’d already taken blood to test for STDs and he would be placed on antivirals as soon as he got out of surgery. He knew those drugs alone would make the kid ill, but it was a necessary evil.

Trent looked up and his gaze landed directly on Jason. The boss cocked his head and Trent gave his head a small shake. He should’ve known that Jason would pick up on the fact that he was leaving something out.

“He weighed almost nothing when we carried him to the helo.”

Trent sighed at Brock’s statement. “He is suffering from severe malnutrition and it’s going to take a while to get him back at a healthy weight.”

Brock and Sonny sighed at the same time and both of them grinned. “That kid is so picky when it comes to eating. It’s going to cost us a lot of bribing to get him to eat,” Sonny responded.

“We’ll get him more of that power shake he likes. That will help with his weight gain,” Trent followed up.

“Did he wake up, at all?” Ray finally spoke up.

“He was awake for a few seconds. Unfortunately, it seemed that he didn’t recognize me and he also became quite combative. I have a feeling that was mainly because of the fever. They wanted to restrain him, but I managed to convince them that it was not a good idea. That left them with only one option and they sedated him. The doctors were not very keen to do that, especially since they still didn’t know what he was poisoned with.”

Trent cleared his throat. “He also spoke only in Pashto. He mixed it up with Dari. Most of what he said and what I understood, didn’t make any sense. When we see him again, I think things will be better.”

Jason clasped Trent’s shoulder. “Thank you, brother.” He squeezed his shoulder. “Davis brought you some clean clothes and the bathrooms here are not too bad. Why don’t you go and get cleaned up? I’ll get you something to eat and drink in the meantime.”

“Sounds good.”

Trent caught the bag Sonny threw to him, and after Brock indicated where the bathroom was, he left the waiting area to go and clean up. He couldn’t wait for a hot shower. As he reached the bathroom he turned and saw Jason walking towards him. Trent closed his eyes. He’d thought he had more time to sort out things for himself, but it seemed like the boss needed to know. He entered the restroom and leaned against the wall. He didn’t have to wait long for Jason to follow him in.

“What did you not tell us?” Jason didn’t even close the door properly behind him before he asked the question.

Trent lowered his head. “Boss.”

Jason shook his head. “Don’t bullshit me now, Trent. I know there’s something you didn’t tell us. Spit it out.”

“Fuck.” Trent dragged his hand through his longish hair. He sighed and lowered himself to the floor. He didn’t find it strange when Jason followed his example. Trent didn’t say a word, but stared out in front of him.

“Trent.”

The medic shook his head as his eyes burned. He wiped his hand over his face, but it didn’t help. He leaned back with his head against the wall and even with his closed eyes, the tears rolled down his cheeks. A hand squeezed his shoulder and he took strength from that small action. He finally opened his eyes again.

“He was raped. Repeatedly. From the cursory examination they performed it appeared he was raped almost the whole time he was held captive.”

Jason swallowed hard. “Are they sure?”

Trent snorted. “Unfortunately, yes.” He stared at Jason. “You saw how long his hair was.” He closed his eyes. “The rest of this body hair was removed, Jason. All of it. He’s as smooth as a baby, Jason.”

It was Jason’s turn to close his eyes and he nodded. “We’ll help him through this, Trent. We will not let that get him down.”

Trent cocked his head. “We are all worried about his physical injuries, but what about those injuries we can’t see, Jase? I’m scared for his sake.”

“We will help him, Trent. We are his family.” Jason pulled Trent closer to him as the medic gave in to his own emotions and started crying in earnest. Jason’s cheeks were also stained with tears.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Local hospital: Outside Clay’s room**

**Present time**

Jason stood toe to toe with the doctor. He didn’t give a damn that the man was a physician. He was not backing down. Not today, and definitely not on this.

“You will not tell me how to care for my patient, Mister Hayes.”

Jason managed not to roll his eyes. “It’s Master Chief and when it comes to Clay, me and the rest of my team know more about him than what you do. I am also telling you that you need to start listening to what we are saying. Listen to Trent.”

Doctor Allen West shook his head. “I will be banning you from Mister Spenser’s room until further notice. It is my medical opinion that you _and_ your team are hampering his recovery.”

“What!” Jason made a grab for the doctor, but Ray, who stood next to him, managed to pull him back and pushed him against the wall.

“Are you crazy? You cannot do that. The kid needs us.”

The doctor shook his head. “It’s exactly because of the attitude you displayed now that I’m banning you. You cannot control yourself. Clear out of his room. There will be a security guard stationed at his door. None of you will be permitted entry.” The doctor didn’t wait for a reply but turned and left. He hated these American soldiers that thought they could come in and do what they wanted. Well, not in this instance.

Jason growled, but stayed silent. He sank to the floor when the doctor disappeared around the corner. “Fuck.”

“Call Eric.” Ray leaned with his shoulder against the wall.

“I don’t think that’s going to work. This is not the base hospital.” With Clay’s extensive injuries he had to remain in a local hospital in Kabul and would only be transferred to the base hospital when he was stable enough.

“We are not leaving the kid alone, Jase. Lisa and Eric came and visited only during official visiting hours. The doctor doesn’t know them so they wouldn’t be banned from Clay’s room. They’ll also be in a position to inform us of what was going on with the kid.”

“I still don’t want him to be here without any of us, Ray.”

“I feel the same, Jason. The rest of the guys will too.”

Jason bumped the back of his head against the wall. When they first heard that Clay’s primary physician was a Brit, they were all pleased. There would be no language barrier and the British doctors they’d dealt with in the past were all good. That was until they met Doctor West. He was a fucking ass. He would’ve done anything to get Clay another doctor. A smile appeared on Jason’s face. “A new doctor.”

Ray frowned but then grinned when he realized what Jason had in mind. “Doc is set to return from leave by the end of this week.” Bravo’s team doctor was on his honeymoon and hadn’t come over with the rest of their support team for the last mission.

Jason reached for his phone. “I’ll call Eric and then Doc. We’ll be back in the kid’s room sooner than that asshole thinks.”

“That’s true.” Ray watched to where the doctor disappeared. He still couldn’t believe the doctor’s attitude towards them. Yes, Jason was a hard ass. They were all hard asses. But their presence in Clay’s room was not the problem. It was the doctor, and it was as if the man couldn’t see it. He moved away from the wall. “You want me to tell the guys?”

Jason nodded as he waited for Eric to answer his phone. He had to say he was grateful that Ray would tell the team what was going on. It wasn’t going to be a pretty sight, but he also knew Ray would be able to keep all of them relatively calm. “Ray?” He stopped his best friend before he opened the door. “Don’t wake the kid.”

Ray rolled his eyes. “I promise, no waking Clay.” He opened the door and entered.

Jason closed his eyes. When the Eric answered the phone, he spoke up again. “Eric, we’ve got a problem…”

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

Ray noted that it was only Cerberus who lifted his head from where he lay right next to Clay’s bed. The rest of the team didn’t even look up when he entered. By the stiffness of their bodies, Ray knew they overheard what had transpired between Jason and the doctor. He sighed. “Jason is on the phone to Eric. He and Davis will make sure Clay is all right.”

Sonny got to his feet. “If that so-called doctor thinks he can keep me out of this room, he’s making the mistake of his life. The only thing that will happen to him is that _he_ will end up in a room similar to this.”

“I hear you, brother,” Brock spoke up from his position on the other side of Clay’s bed.

“Guys.” Ray shook his head. “I understand. But none of us can afford to be tossed into the brig and not be here for Clay at all. We need to be clever about this.” Ray grinned. “Doc is back from leave on Friday.”

Sonny returned the grin at the thought. “And the moment he hears about the kid, he’ll be on the first priority flight out of Virginia and be here on Saturday.”

“Hopefully, yes. Today is Thursday, so only two days. We only have to be patient for two days.”

Trent shook his head. “Do you know how much can go wrong with the kid in two days?” He shrugged. “Did you not see already what went wrong in the two days since we got him back?”

“Trent.” Ray walked over to where Trent sat. “That was not your fault.”

Trent cocked his head. “And whose fault was it then?”

“No one’s,” Ray answered with conviction. None of them could’ve guessed what would happen the first time Clay woke up.

“Well, I don’t feel the same.” Trent wanted to blame the doctor, but he had no evidence that what happened was indeed the doctor’s fault.

“What would you’ve done, Trent?”

Trent bowed his head. He didn’t have an answer to that question, but it didn’t matter. What did matter was the fact that they hadn’t been here when Clay woke up the first time. That was on them. He gazed at their youngest team member. “I would’ve done something.”

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

_**Local hospital: Clay’s room.** _

_**2 Days earlier** _

_Bravo Team all waited in anticipation for Clay to wake up. The doctors were of the opinion that their little brother would be waking up within the next couple of hours._

_They were all seated around the room when Clay started to get restless. His movements were restricted as both of his feet, his right leg, and his left arm were all immobilized with casts. His right arm was in a sling to support the reduced dislocated shoulder. He was also on oxygen as the nursing staff struggled to get his oxygen level above eighty-five percent._

_They’d already decided that Trent would approach Clay first when he woke up. They didn’t want to let the kid feel over crowded if they all hovered around the bed._

_The team was still watching Clay when the door to his room opened and Clay’s primary doctor came in. No one on the team liked the man, and he didn’t like them either. He didn’t want to listen to Trent when their medic told him certain aspects concerning Clay. Doctor West went as far as to say that he was the doctor and Trent was just a soldier playing medic and that Trent should focus on what he was and let the doctor do his job._

_They had nearly come to blows over that, and would have if it hadn’t been for Brock and Sonny who pulled Trent from the doctor. From there on, they all ignored him whenever possible. Luckily, one of the floor nurses liked them and she kept them in the loop on Clay’s progress._

_“Visiting hours are over.”_

_“We are not leaving.” Jason remained where he stood next to Trent._

_Doctor West stared at him and sneered. “I need to examine my patient and I value his privacy. Since I cannot do that if you are around, I am telling you again to leave. You can come back tomorrow morning.”_

_“We’ll wait for you outside.” Jason moved towards the door._

_“What purpose would that be for?”_

_Both Trent and Jason glared at the man if he’d grown a second head. When the doctor continued to stare at them it was Jason who replied. “To tell us how he’s doing.”_

_Doctor West shook his head. “No. None of you are Mister Spenser’s medical proxy. I do not need to tell you anything.”_

_This time all of them wanted to take the doctor on, but it was Ray’s calm disposition that got them all out of the room while the doctor remained alive._

_They had all remained in the hall. They either sat with their backs against the wall, or leaned against the white wall with their shoulders. They spoke in hushed tones. They knew they were in a hospital and that the people in the room around them needed their rest._

_Then all hell broke loose and they heard Clay scream once. Ray was still unsure on how they did it, but Sonny and Jason, together with Cerberus went through the narrow doorway at the same time. Trent followed closely on their heels while he and Brock followed last. Clay was out of the bed. The IVs he had in his hands were ripped free and his blood coated his hands, arms and the hospital gown he had on. Clay was huddled in the corner the furthest away from the door and had his bloodied arms over his head as if he was trying to protect himself from any possible hits. He whimpered under his breath. Ray couldn’t understand the words, but he didn’t have too. It was clear that Clay was scared shitless._

_Trent had tried to approach Clay to see if he could get him to calm down, while Jason tried to find out from the doctor what had happened. The doctor had stepped around Jason and grabbed Trent by his arm and yanked him back. Trent had nearly punched the doctor in the face when he grabbed him, but realized who it was in time. Trent stood back and then for a second time nearly punched the doctor when the man jabbed Clay with a needle and emptied a syringe in his thigh. It had been a fast-acting sedative, but it still made Trent see red. Since the doctor didn’t talk to him or even listen to him, he didn’t know how Clay reacted to different medicines, including sedatives._

_By that time the nurses were also in the room and the team was ordered out. None of them were willing to leave, but it was a bit overcrowded in the room so they moved out and left the nurses to their work. When they returned, their blood boiled. The doctor had decided that Clay was a risk to himself and to the nursing staff and he’d ordered him to be restrained._

_The team had tried to tell the doctor that it wasn’t a good idea. Even went as far as to remind him that Clay had been held captive for six months, but West was adamant. He wasn’t going to risk the nursing staff’s safety and Clay would remain restrained. That meant that every time they were together in the room with the kid, they would loosen the restraints. None of the nursing staff said a word about that. Except the doctor. He kept Clay sedated, spewing nonsense that he didn’t want Clay to be aggravated, but what he didn’t understand and he didn’t even try to understand that Clay would continue to fight until he realized that he was safe. They tried to explain all of it to the doctor, but it was like talking to a brick wall._

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Local hospital: Clay’s room**

**Present time**

Ray led the team out and stopped in his tracks. There were already two security guards walking towards them. “Seriously?” He shook his head and tapped Jason on the shoulder who stood with his back to them. When Jason turned to him, he indicated with his head. He could see how Jason’s body tensed as the team lead spotted the two men.

“Blackburn, you need to hurry.” Jason ended the call. He pocketed his phone as the two guards arrived.

The tallest man of the two by the name of Zaland Tareen watched the five men and sighed. He didn’t want to do this, but Doctor West had instructed them to remove the Americans from the injured man’s hospital room. He had been there when most of the team arrived. He’d seen the exhaustion on their faces. He’d also seen the determination and fear as they had to wait for news on their team member. They stood united. They were more of a family than just a team. He knew the nursing staff experienced no trouble with them, but Doctor West was being his usual self. It was made worse because they were American. For one reason or another the British doctor had a problem with Americans.

“We do not want problems.” Zaland addressed the man in front of him. They all oozed confidence, but the man who pocketed his phone, he was the leader. He could see it by the way the man stood. He managed to stand tall as the man stared at him for a very long time. He was about to speak up again, when the man beat him to it.

“The only problems there will be is if you try to remove us from this hospital,” Jason replied seriously. “I understand that you’re doing your job, but we are also doing ours.”

“I don’t understand, explain?”

Jason pointed to the door behind them. “Our brother is in there and we’re not leaving him alone in there.”

To Zaland that made sense. He could understand that. “Our nursing staff is very competent. They will take good care of your brother.”

Jason shook his head. “You don’t understand. It’s our duty to make sure he’s protected.”

“That I can understand, but please, we are also working on orders.”

“What exactly are those orders?” Sonny stepped closer, his arms folded across his broad chest.

Zaland watched as the leader placed a bracing hand on the man’s chest. “We are to ensure that you do not enter this room, unless it’s with the explicit permission of Doctor West.”

Jason grinned. “Only the room?”

Zaland nodded.

“Then there’s no problem.” Jason leaned past Ray and opened the door behind his back. He took a chair that stood inside the room and placed it in such a way that he didn’t obstruct the hallway, but that he had a view of the bed and the patient in the bed clearly. The rest of the men around them chuckled before they all did the same.

Zaland shook his head. He indicated to this colleague to take his up position. Zaland made himself comfortable against the wall.

Jason grinned at the security guard. The man didn’t say it, but from his body language he got the impression that the man didn’t agree with the doctor’s orders. It suited him fine.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

Eric and Lisa came to a halt when they spotted Bravo team lounging around in the hallway. The lieutenant commander wouldn’t have guessed that he would find them sitting around, almost looking relaxed.

“Jason,” Eric called out when they came into shouting distance. He smiled when the team leader got to his feet and walked towards him. None of the others moved from their seats or even turned at his voice.

“You made quick time.” Jason stopped in front of Eric.

“We had some help.” Eric didn’t elaborate and Jason didn’t ask. “What’s going on here?”

“Fucking ass of a Doctor.” Jason rubbed his hair until the ends stood up in the air. “Did you get hold of Doc?”

Eric nodded. “They had terrible weather and returned back home earlier. He indicated that he will be on the first priority flight out of Virginia.” Luckily for them, Doc and his brand-new bride had been in a committed relationship form almost ten years before they finally took the next step. It wasn’t a new thing for her if Doc went off on a mission with them and only returned weeks later.

Jason grinned and turned to Davis. “Do you know when that next flight might be?” Their logistics officer always seemed to have the information on stuff like that.

“There’s one leaving in four hours. Doc will be on it.”

“He’ll be here late tomorrow night.” Jason’s shoulders sagged at the news. It was even better than what they all hoped for.

“What do you want us to do, Jason?” Lisa asked. She glanced over to where she could get a glimpse of the inside of Clay’s room, but couldn’t see the man himself. She hated to admit it to herself, but she was scared of the prospect of looking at Clay. She’d seen him for a period of five seconds, maybe even shorter when they wheeled him into the ER two nights ago. He’d looked bad.

“Stay in his room. Don’t take your eyes off him. The nursing staff is really nice. They’ll pull the curtain around his bed and so we don’t have to leave his room when they took care of his injuries and wash him. Do not let the doctor brow beat you with anything else. Until Clay wakes up and the doctor needed to talk to Clay in private, we are not leaving him alone.”

Lisa nodded. She could do that. “What about the security?” She’d seen the two men on both sides of the door.

“They’re good. That’s why we’re all camped out here in the hallway.” Jason explained to them the instructions given to the security and how they were using it to their advantage.

Eric took a critical look at Bravo team. They were all beyond exhausted. He took a deep breath. “You’re not going to like what I have to say, but I think all of you should head back to the base and get some rest. Maybe you could accompany Doc here when he arrives tomorrow night.” He held up his hand when Jason wanted to speak up. “I promise that either I, or Davis will call you every two hours to give you an update on Clay’s status.” He cocked his head and pushed a bit more. “I’m willing to make it an order.”

Jason stared at his team. He would be lying to himself if he didn’t admit that Eric’s words were true. “Every two hours.” He stared at both Eric and Davis.

“Every two hours.”

“Great.” Jason turned and whistled. All four men turned as one and watched him. “We’re heading out. Davis and Eric will keep us up to date. Let’s hit the showers and get some proper shuteye.”

Trent was the one who shook his head and Jason closed the distance between them. He pulled him closer, and spoke in his ear. Trent shook his head again, but finally nodded and Jason stood back. He slapped him on the shoulder and turned to the security. “Two minutes.”

Zaland grinned. “You’ve got five.”

Jason smiled and with sure and quick movements the five men and one dog entered the room and gathered around Clay’s bed. Jason grabbed hold of Clay’s hand and squeezed it softly. “You are safe, kid. Eric and Lisa will take care of you for us. But, we’re only a call away. We’re here for you, brother. You are not alone.”

Ray, Brock, Trent and Sonny all had something to say to Clay and then made their way over to the room. Brock called out to Cerberus and the five men came to a halt when the K9 growled at Brock before he crawled underneath Clay’s bed and lay down.

Brock stared at Cerberus. “I’m not sure if I need to be insulted that you growled at me, or if I should be impressed that you’re stating that fuck all of us, you’re staying.” He shook his head. It was an easy decision to reach. “Cerb, guard.” He smiled when Cerberus barked once and then lowered his head onto his front paws.

Brock turned when he heard Eric sigh behind him. “He’ll listen to you or to Lisa, but he won’t take orders from anyone else, Eric.”

“Sounds fine to me.” Eric smiled. He couldn’t wonder what the doctor would say when he realized that the dog had stayed. He took one of the chairs that stood around and lowered himself in it. He watched as Lisa did the same. Both of them stared at the young man in the bed.

“I didn’t think we’ll get him back,” Lisa whispered.

Eric nodded, but didn’t reply.

“Do you think he’ll be all right?”

Eric smiled. “Don’t you?”

Lisa returned the smile. “Stupid question, I know. But we don’t know what he went through. We can see that he’s been tortured. We still don’t know what for.” She peered down at her hands. “And then there’s the fact that he still needs to be debriefed. It won’t be a simple after-action report. What will he say? Will he make it through those questions? I can’t think how it must be to be tortured and then he has to sit in a room and tell a bunch of higher ups on what was done to him. Tell them over and over that he never spilled any secrets that he was privy to.” She shook her head. “I’m scared. I’m scared that he won’t be all right. That we won’t be enough for him.”

“Davis… Lisa.” Eric jumped to his feet and paced the room. He came to a halt next to Clay’s bed and watched at the young man as he spoke. “You know about SERE training, you know about the advanced SERE training, kill-house training and the torture training the guys go through. But, there’s one thing that you’re losing sight of. They never go through it alone. Their team, their family are there for them – always. Clay is not alone. He will never be alone. Jason, Ray, Sonny, Brock, Trent and every other SEAL in DEVGRU, in the Green team and in our own support teams will be there for him. We – you, me, Mandy – we will also be there for him. It’s not going to be easy, but we will not let him give up. We will not give up and in the end, he will get through it. Even if it means that we need to drag his ass the whole way, we will make sure he’s all right.”

Lisa nodded. She’d been working with Bravo team for a couple of years now. She had been there when Nate died, but with Clay it was different. It was as if the youngster took more chances in getting the job done than the rest of Bravo team combined. She knew the rest of the team saw it. She knew they were extra protective towards Clay, but still let the kid do what he was trained for. And he did one hell of a job. He always gave a hundred-and-ten percent. Never less than that.

They both glanced at Clay’s bed when the rustling of the covers showed movement. Eric stepped closer and Lisa reached for her phone. If Clay woke up, the team would be here. It didn’t matter what the doctor said. Clay would need the team.

“Clay, Clay,” Eric called softly and placed his hand on Clay’s chest and held it there. He watched as Clay scrunched up his nose, whimpered and rolled his head from side to side, but not once did he open his eyes.

Lisa ended the call and came to stand next to Eric. “Jason is on his way.”

Eric shook his head. “I think we were too optimistic.” He looked down where Clay had settled down again and seemed to be sleeping peacefully once again.

“Nightmare?”

“Possible.” Eric stepped back from the bed but didn’t move to his chair. “I wish he would wake up only once and to realize that he’s safe. It would do him the world’s good and if the team saw him, they would benefit from it as well.”

“So the first time doesn’t count?” Lisa had heard that Clay had woken up, but she had little detail on what had happened.

Eric snorted. “I know we’re not doctors, but that doctor had no right to sedate Clay. If he’d given Trent a chance to get Clay to calm down, things would’ve been much better. To answer your question, no, that first time doesn’t count.”

Lisa glanced down when she felt a head under her hand. “Cerb.” She scratched behind his ears and smiled when it appeared he grinned at her. “You also worried about the kid?” She patted him on the head. “We all are.” She laughed out loud as Cerberus snorted against her hand, walked two steps back and cleared the railing around Clay’s bed.

“Easy, boy. Clay’s hurt.” Eric pushed the dog to the side a bit and nodded when Cerberus trotted to the foot of the bed. He watched on as the dog turned once, twice, three times before he fell to his side with his head on Clay’s casted foot and closed his eyes.

Lisa laughed again and shook her head. “Doctor West is going to have a fit when he sees that.”

Eric grinned. “I can’t wait to see how he tries to get Cerb off the bed.” He shrugged his shoulders. “You know Cerb only listens to Brock and no one else. He would have to stay there until Brock comes back,” Eric said with a wink.

Lisa shook her head. “He’s going to have a fit.”

“As long as he does it somewhere else, I don’t give a damn.” Eric dragged his chair closer and sat down again. They still had a few minutes before Jason showed up. He should’ve called Jason and told him it was a false alarm, but he would’ve wasted his breath. It was easier to wait for Bravo’s team leader to show up.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

Zaland peered down the hall and frowned when he saw the American walking towards them. He was under the impression that the man and his team would only be returning the following night. He didn’t hear anything from inside the room. “Is everything all right?”

“Kid is apparently waking up,” Jason answered with a smiled. He stood in front of the security officer but made no attempt to pass him. The man treated him and the rest of Bravo team with respect and he would do the same.

Zaland grinned. “That’s good news.” He stepped to the side. “The nurses will be doing their rounds in about half an hour.”

“Thank you.” He knocked once on the door, opened it and walked in. “How’s he doing?”

Zaland couldn’t hear the reply as the door closed again and he took up his post again.

“Why?”

Zaland gazed at the rookie that did duty with him. “I was here two days ago when they brought that man in. I’ve seen how the team stood together and waited for any piece of news on their teammate. They care about him. They care about one another. If what I heard is true, that young man in there is going to need his team to get through this ordeal. You know Doctor West, he’s good, but when it comes to Americans, his judgement is tainted. I will personally remove any of them if they harmed the man in that bed, but until then, I do feel it’s in his best interest that his team, I dare say, his family be there for him.”

The young security officer stared at the closed door. “I understand.” He took up his post again. He would do the same.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

Eric moved from his chair when Jason entered. “Appeared it was a false alarm, Jason. He didn’t wake up.”

Jason nodded as he made his way over to the bed. “I wondered how long it would take before you jumped up.” He scratched Cerb’s ears and gazed at Clay. “He’s in pain.”

Eric frowned. “How do you know that?”

“Death grip he has on the blankets.” Jason indicated to Clay’s left fist that clenched the sheet.

“I’ll get the nurse.” Lisa stood up.

“Thank you.” Jason moved to the head of Clay’s bed and took Clay’s right hand in his. “He’s burning up as well.”

“Fever?” Eric asked as Lisa exited the room.

“Most likely.” Jason frowned.

“What’s on your mind?”

“They still haven’t told us what he was poisoned with or for how long he’d been poisoned.”

“Doctor West.” Eric sighed. The man didn’t want to tell anyone how Clay really was doing. He’d already spoken to both Jason and Trent. They would speak to Clay and get the kid to appoint one of them as his medical proxy. It would ensure that they knew what was going on with the kid when he couldn’t tell them himself.

Jason turned when the door behind them opened. He stepped to the side when a nurse entered with Lisa on her heels. He stifled a grin when the nurse stared at Cerberus, sighed, shook her head, but without taking any further notice of the dog, she checked Clay out. They stood and watched her in silence.

Nurse Laila Kiara peered at three people in the room with her. Her gaze landed on the man with the deep brown eyes. She’d seen him in the ER waiting room before. She’d seen him cry when the rest of the men that were with him didn’t see him. She also knew what Doctor West said, and she didn’t agree with the man. She then looked at the dog on the bed. He watched her every move and she had no doubt that he would’ve attacked her if she made any move that he perceived as being dangerous to the man in the bed.

“I’ve given him something for pain, it will work within a few minutes. I’ve also given him something for his fever, which should bring it down, although we’re still struggling to get it lower than a 100.4.” She frowned when the dark-haired man grinned.

“You won’t get it below that. 100.4 is his normal temperature.” He gave her the information with a smile.

She frowned. “It’s not indicated on his file.”

Jason closed his eyes. “I can promise you our medic would’ve told the docs the moment they took his temperature for the first time. The kid runs on a higher temperature than the rest of us.”

Laila nodded. “I will make a note of it.” She then studied the dog. “And you can stop staring at me, I will not hurt him. Not intentionally. I only want to help. But you also need to do me a favor. I don’t mind if you sleep at his feet, but the others, especially Doctor West will not be impressed. So, please, in order to keep the peace, especially for the young man that you’re guarding, jump off when you know he’s coming.”

Cerberus looked at the woman who stood before him and he barked once. He liked her. He opened his mouth and grinned.

Laila smiled. “Good, we’ve reached an understanding.” She regarded the people in the room. “Should you need anything else don’t hesitate to call me.” She walked towards the door.

“Nurse.” Jason reached out to her. “Sorry, I don’t know your name.”

“It’s Laila.”

“Thank you, nurse Laila.” Jason swallowed. “I wanted to ask you something else.”

“You may ask.”

“Do you know with what he was been poisoned and if the toxin is still in his body? Will there be any lasting effects as a result of the poisoning?”

Laila sighed. “I am not allowed to say much to you.” She watched as their shoulders sagged. “But what I can tell you is that the poison seems to be out of his system. They did, what we call a gastric suction when we realized he was poisoned. That’s also one of the reasons why he’s on extra intravenous fluids. We’re not sure if there will be any lasting effects, unfortunately, we have to wait and see.”

“What was he poisoned with? Can you tell us that?”

“It seemed to be plant based. I would have to go and look for you in the file. I know it’s not something found in Afghanistan.”

Jason physically took a step back at her last words. “Eric?” Jason glared at the unit chief. “What the fuck?”

“We’ll figure this out.”

“We better.” Jason looked on as the nurse left the room. He would go and talk to her later again. It didn’t sit right with him that Clay was poisoned with something that was not found in this godforsaken place. There were so many questions running around in his mind and he didn’t have an answer to a single one. He needed answers, the sooner the better.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Local Hospital: Following evening**

Doc walked out of Spenser’s room and closed the door behind him. He couldn’t hide the frown etched on his face. He looked up and nodded when he saw Bravo team before him. “Let me fill you in on what I found.”

Jason cocked his head. “The ass-hat fucked up.”

Doc smiled and shook his head. “No, the ass-hat didn’t fuck up, but he also doesn’t know Clay so he didn’t do exactly what he was supposed to do. But there will be no lasting effects.”

“He should’ve listened to Trent.”

“He should’ve.” Doc sighed and his gaze landed on the team medic. Trent always went the extra mile on every last member of his team, but he went a hundred miles further for Clay. The young man held a special place in all of their hearts. “You want to know?” He help up the file he had in his hands.

“Yes, but in English, please,” Sonny piped up.

Doc rolled his eyes and handed the file to Trent. He knew the medic would go through the file on his own and would bombard him with questions afterwards. “Yes, Sonny, in English.” Doc took a deep breath. “First of all, I’ve ordered another tox screen.”

“Why? I thought the poison is out of Clay’s system? And do we know what he was poisoned with?” Sonny interrupted. Jason had filled them in that the poison was not local and it had raised serious flags with all of them. If Parwaiz wanted to kill Clay, he could’ve shot him, or slashed his throat. There was no sense in poisoning him. It meant that someone else wanted Clay dead. Since they didn’t know who that might be, they’d all taken the threat to be still active against Clay. They all wore their sidearms openly. They didn’t give a damn what anyone said.

“Yes, the poison is out of Clay’s system, but the rest of the numbers don’t add up. We’re missing something and I need to find out what.”

“The reason he’s not waking up properly,” Ray spoke up where he leaned against the wall.

Doc nodded. “As for what he was poisoned with.” He shook his head. “You’re not going to like it.”

Jason closed the distance between them. “What do you mean by that?”

“ _Cicuta maculate_.”

“Doc, you promised, English.”

“Sorry, Sonny. Water Hemlock.” He watched the team as his words sunk in.

“Fuck.” Jason interlaced his hands behind his head, while Sonny’s hand came to a rest on his handgun. Both Trent and Brock and moved closer to Clay’s room and Ray had pushed himself from the wall. “Are you fucking serious?”

“I am.”

Eric shook his head. “Are you saying someone brought Water Hemlock from the US. The most poisonous plant in the country and poisoned Clay with it.”

Doc nodded.

“Are we then going to assume and I know, we normally don’t assume, but are we assuming that whoever tried to poison Clay and kill him had been in America or had contact with an American and got their hands on a fucking poisonous plant to kill Clay. To kill a Navy SEAL?” Sonny’s fist connected with the wall next to him. The wall received a dent and Sonny some bloody knuckles.

Doc didn’t intervene. It wasn’t necessary. Trent was already next to Sonny and took his busted hand in his. He directed his attention to Jason. “I’m switching his pain meds to something we know works for him. Hopefully that will let him wake up and be more coherent.”

“Good.” Jason took a look at Sonny and Trent before he turned his attention back to their team doctor. “What about his injuries?”

“Let’s start with his fever. It’s finally going down and he’s reacting well to the fever reducer we’ve got him on. His other injuries are healing well. He’s going to need some extensive physical therapy, but I’m positive that he’ll make a full recovery. I had a look at the injuries on his back. They are going to scar extensively. Normally I’m not one for plastic surgery, but the scar tissue might cause him to have limited movement and that might be a problem in his requalification. I’ve already placed in a call to a friend of mine who is one of the world’s best plastic surgeons. He’s willing to consult on Clay’s case and see if he can help.”

Jason shoulders sagged. But there was also one other injury he needed to ask about. Well, either him or Trent. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that the team, including Mandy, Lisa and Eric were all standing close to Sonny and Jason knew it was the time, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t get the words out to ask the doc about _that_ injury. It was so fucked up. He dragged his hand across his face. He looked up when a hand landed on his bicep.

“His bloodwork is also clean in all other respects, Jason. He will be on ARV’s for a while, but it seems that someone did indeed watch over him and he didn’t contract any illnesses. I also did a quick cursory examination and it’s healing as well.”

Jason nodded. It seems that the doc knew what he wanted to ask. “You’ll keep myself and Trent up to date on that?”

Doc sighed as he shook his head. “I can’t, Jason. The moment Clay wakes up and he’s able to talk, he’s going to say he doesn’t want any of you to know and then it falls under doctor-patient confidentiality and then I can’t share anything else with you.”

Jason closed his eyes. He knew there might be a possibility of something like that, but he didn’t want to believe it. “He needs to give permission?”

“He needs someone he can talk to about this, Jason. I hope that you, or Sonny, or Trent, or for that matter any of the other guys will be that person. He will also need to talk to a professional.”

Jason snorted. “You know as well as I do, Doc, we all run circles around the psychologists. It’s not going to work.”

“And I’m telling you, Jason. You need to get him to talk, to deal with this, otherwise it’s going to eat him alive.”

“I know, Doc, I know.” Jason looked at his team again and then at the closed room. “Can I see him?”

Doc smiled. “You can see him. All of you can see him. I know you will be on your best behavior.”

Jason grinned. “What about the ass?”

Doc shook his head. “Doctor West is no longer his primary doctor and he will not interfere with Clay or his treatment in any way or manner.” He didn’t add that together with Eric, he’d had a quiet little chat with the pompous ass and made it clear that he should stay clear of Clay Spenser and the rest of Bravo team until such time Clay got transferred to the base hospital. Unfortunately, that will not happen within the next week.

“Thanks, Doc. I know you’ve been up for a lot of hours, and I, we, appreciate it.” Jason shook the doctor’s hand.

He reached Clay’s room and opened the door. He didn’t need to look back to know the rest of the team saw the movement and was short on his heels. Jason stepped to the side and let his team in. He stopped Sonny with a hand against the chest and brought his hand up for inspection. It was clearly bruised, but to his eye there didn’t seem to be any real damage. “You good?”

“No damage.”

Jason glanced for Trent and found confirmation in Sonny’s words as their medic nodded his head. “Keep it like that.”

“Roger, Boss.” Sonny grinned and entered the room. They all gathered around Clay’s bed and watched as the kid slept.

Jason looked on as Cerberus jumped on the bed and Clay’s hand moved that inch to grab hold of Cerb’s fur. The dog shuffled even closer and he smiled as both Clay and their pup sighed. He did however not ignore the feeling of dread he had in his stomach. Clay still had to wake up and they had no idea in which headspace he was going to be in. Jason knew it wasn’t going to be pretty, but they would not let Clay down. They would be there for him, even if he didn’t want it.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

Clay woke up with a gasp and for a moment he had no idea of where he was, but then he noticed the sun on his face, the soft breeze in his hair, and the water that lapped at his feet. He was in his safe place. Clay couldn’t help but frown. He had no idea on why he would be in his _safe place_. There was something that he wasn’t remembering. He closed his eyes again. He had to remember. Thing remained dark behind his closed eyes.

“It’s not helping.” He slammed his hand against the sand.

“What’s not helping?”

“Fuck!” Clay nearly jumped out of his skin. “Brian?” He grinned. “Brian.” Without thinking he threw himself into his best friend’s arms and hugged him hard. “Brian.” A sob escaped and he kept his head against his friend’s shoulder.

“I’ve got you, buddy.” Brian hugged his best friend hard. He wished there was something more that he could do. He stayed with Clay in his arms until his friend’s sobs finally died down. He took Clay by the shoulders and pushed him back so that he could look at his face. “You’re having a shitty time.”

Clay nodded and leaned back from Brian. He scanned the area around him. He was still on the beach. “I don’t know what I’m doing here.”

Brian nodded. “Understandable.”

“Can you tell me?”

Brian smiled and shook his head. “You know it doesn’t work like that, Clay. This is _your_ safe place. You have to figure it out.”

“I don’t want to.”

Brian sighed. “It doesn’t work like that either, Clay.”

Clay drew his knees up to his chest and looked at his torn jeans and naked feet. He dug his toes deep into the soft sand. “I don’t want to.” He repeated his earlier words.

“I know.” Brian scooted closer so that he sat right next to his friend.

“Can I stay here forever?”

Brian shook his head. “You know the answer to that question as well, Clay.”

Clay lowered his head. “Did it hurt?”

Brian stared out at the sea. “Yes.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Clay.”

“It should’ve been me.” A hard slap to the back of his head made him rub his head. “What was that for?”

“Talking shit.”

Clay snorted. “You had something going for you, Brian. You had your whole life in front of you. You deserved to live.”

“And you don’t?” Brian shook his head. “You had a weird childhood, Clay, and I know you know about mine, but you have the right to live as well. Your whole life is in front of you. You deserve to live.”

“I don’t think I can.”

“You’ve never given up before, Clay. Not even when you found your name on the list for the bottom five. You pulled your ass out of your head and you got the top spot. You got the top team, Clay.”

“They won’t want me after this.”

“After what?” Brian frowned.

“After what had happened.”

“Yeah, I must admit you’re right.” Brian shrugged his shoulders. “I mean, who would want anyone that managed to stay alive for six months and didn’t die while being tortured on a daily basis? Who would want someone who showed they are strong enough to overcome being kidnapped by a fucking madman? I can’t think of anyone, especially not Bravo team. You’re right, Clay. They won’t want you.” He hit his best friend at the back of the head again.

“Don’t be a fucking moron, Clay. You survived this. They will want you. They are your family. You are their kid brother. They will not let you go. Not over this, not over anything.”

“I’m broken.”

“No, you’re not. You’re a bit bent out of shape, but no, Clay. You’re are definitely not broken.”

“I don’t know if I can deal with it.” 

“The torture? The humiliation?” Brian knew he was being harsh, but Clay needed him to be that right now.

“Yes.”

“You do realize that you won’t be dealing with it on your own, right?” Brian placed his hand across Clay’s shoulders. “Your team, your family will be there for you every step of the way.” He sighed. “It’s not going to be easy, Clay, but don’t lose hope. Never lose hope.”

Clay cocked his head. “You said that to me before.”

A sad smile appeared on Brian’s face. “I did.”

“Why?”

“Because.”

Clay shook his head. “It doesn’t make sense, Brian.”

“It will, Clay.” Brian gave his friend another hug. “It’s time you went back, Clay. You can’t stay here forever.”

“Brian?” Clay watched as the scene before him started to change. The wind and the sun disappeared. The cold water and the sand beneath him went away and when he looked, Brian shimmered and then he was no longer there. Instead, he found himself surrounded by darkness. It pressed down on his chest and he wheezed. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t see. He needed to get up. He needed to get away. He tried to move, to get up, but his limbs refused to work. He surveyed the area, but the darkness let nothing in.

“NO!” Clay screamed.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Local Hospital: Clay’s room**

**5 Days after the rescue**

“ _NA!_ ”

Jason was the first on his feet and next to the kid when Clay screamed. “Easy, Clay, you’re safe.”

“ _NA!_ ” Clay screamed out again as he scrambled to get away from unseen hands. He lashed out and managed to clip Jason on the chin with a right hook. The blow wasn’t at full strength but it was still hard enough that Jason stumbled back.

“Fuck.” Jason dug in his heels so that he didn’t fall to the floor and moved forward again. Ray had left the room for help so he had to deal with Clay on his own for the moment. Jason didn’t want to pin Clay down, but the younger man still fought against an unseen enemy.

“ _NA! Loftan!_ ”

“Clay!” Jason grabbed hold of Clay’s shoulders and shook him hard. It wasn’t something that he wanted to do, but he needed Clay to wake up before the kid managed to injure himself. “Clay!” He called out again.

“ _NA! Loftan!_ ”

“Fuck it, Clay, stop!” Jason tried again, but with no luck. The IV in Clay’s arm ripped out and sprayed blood all over the bed cover. The monitors above Clay’s head screamed out their protest and still Clay didn’t wake up. Jason looked up when Clay’s door slammed open. “A little help here!” He couldn’t believe how much Clay managed to move, especially taken into account his different injuries.

“ _NA! Loftan!_ ” Clay screamed and bucked upwards to dislodge himself from whomever pinned him down.

Doc took one look at the scene before him and cringed. It seemed that he’d have to sedate Clay again. He reached into his pocket and withdrew the pre-prepared syringe. He gave two strides and stood next to Clay. The IV was useless so he leaned forward and tried to grab Clay’s arm.

“ _Wadrega!_ ” Ray’s voice boomed through the room and the result was instant. Clay went limp between the two men that held him down.

Doc didn’t hesitate but pushed the needle in and emptied the plunger. Only when Clay’s eyes shut did they release the hold on him.

“What the fuck?” Jason stared at Doc and at Ray. “What the hell was that?”

“Night terror.” Doc sounded out of breath.

“That I’m aware of, I was talking about the Pashto.” Jason studied Ray. “How did you know it would work?”

Ray took a deep breath. “I didn’t, but I had to try. The fact that he kept on saying _no_ and _please_ made me wonder if he would respond to Pashto so I tried.”

Doc frowned. “What did you say to him?”

“ _Stop_. It’s one of the few words in Pashto that we all know.”

“Why would he be screaming in Pashto?” Doc asked as he started to check his patient out. He would have to reinsert the IV line as well.

Jason looked at Ray. “I don’t think they spoke in English to him, Doc. I think for the past six months the only language Clay heard was Pashto.” He had no idea how that would impact Clay’s recovery.

“Mm.” Doc regarded the two senior Bravo members. They both looked worried and he could understand that. “Talk to him, even when he sleeps. His subconscious will pick up on the conversation. Let his brain get used to hearing English again. In the mean time I’ll make sure to have someone with me who speaks Pashto should it become necessary.”

“Are you saying he would keep speaking Pashto?” Jason frowned at the thought. If the top brass heard that, they would start questioning Clay’s loyalty. “This does not get reported.”

Doc opened and closed his mouth and then nodded. He understood where Jason was coming from.

“The rest of the team needs to know.”

“We will tell them, but that’s that, Ray. If the top finds out. You know what they will do.”

Ray nodded. “Because he’s Ash’s kid.”

“Yes.” Jason watched Clay. The kid was clammy, his blond hair plastered to his forehead and he was breathing hard. “Is his fever up again?”

Doc regarded the monitor and pulled the temporal artery thermometer from a pocket. He sighed when the reading displayed on the small screen. “Elevated.”

“Because of the night terror or something else?”

“I’ll keep an eye on it. It might be only from what had happened here, but you know with him, it can be anything.” Doc made notes on Clay’s chart. “He’ll be out for a couple of hours. Hopefully by then I’ll have the tox screen results back.”

“Is he in pain?” Ray noted how tense Clay appeared even sedated.

“I’ve given him something for the pain as well. It will kick in soon.” Doc smiled and then left the room. He knew that both Jason and Ray would continue to keep an eye on their youngest team member.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

Sonny took the chair Jason vacated and leaned back so that he rested against the wall and he placed his feet on the bed. He was getting restless. It was taking far too long for Pretty Boy to wake up. None of them had taken the news well that not only did Clay wake up combative, but that he also woke up and only spoke Pashto. It didn’t sound good.

“I’m supposed to read to you.” Sonny opened the magazine he got from Mandy. “You do realize that this is a woman’s magazine, right? I, for one, have never read the _Cosmo_ before.” Sonny eyeballed the article and cleared his throat. He opened his mouth and then closed it. “Don’t you dare laugh at me, you hear?” He received no answer and he stared at Clay for a long time. “What no sarcastic remark? You’re getting soft, Mister Spenser.” Sonny smiled. “Let’s see, this looks interesting. _‘A relationship expert answers fourteen of your most burning dating questions.’_ ” Sonny chuckled at the heading to the first question. “How the hell do I ask someone out?” He shook his head. “I don’t know about you, buddy, but I normally open my mouth and ask. It’s not that hard.” He grinned. “Not for me in any case.” Sonny read the article out loud, but placed his own spin on it. He kept it light hearted and told Clay tales of how some of his own dates went, including one or two that ended up pretty bad.

When his voice sounded hoarse, he knew it was time to stop for a while. Sonny reached down and picked up his water bottle from the floor. He took a sip and nearly choked on the water when he glanced up and saw Clay’s blue eyes staring at him. “Clay?” Sonny got to his feet and approached the bed. “Happy to see you’d finally decided to join us, buddy. How are you feeling?”

Sonny frowned when he received no response. “Clay?” He moved closer and took a sip of his water. He noted that Clay’s eyes followed the bottle in his hand. “You thirsty?”

“ _Ooba._ ” Clay’s voice sounded gruff and it was a mere whisper.

Sonny frowned. “What did you say, Clay?”

“ _Loftan._ ” Clay kept his eyes on the bottle.

“Please?” Sonny translated the word. He looked at the bottle in his hand. “You want water, Clay. You can have water, buddy. But only a small sip all right?” Sonny kept his movements deliberate and slow. He didn’t want to spook Clay. He didn’t even know if Clay was allowed water, but he wasn’t going to deny the kid the water. He gently lifted Clay’s head from the pillow and placed the bottle against his lips. “Small sips, okay.” He slowly tipped the bottle and watched as Clay swallowed. The kid couldn’t hide the grimace on his face, but he didn’t pull back so Sonny let him have another mouth full. After the third sip, Sonny removed the bottle. “Not too much, Clay. You’ve been running on empty for a while now, let’s not make you queasy with the water.”

Sonny caped the water and placed it next to Clay. “The team is going to be happy that you’re awake, Clay.” Sonny grinned. He didn’t like the fact that Clay didn’t respond to him, but he wasn’t complaining. Not if it meant that the kid was finally awake.

Sonny reached for his phone with another slow movement and managed to send a text one handed. He placed the phone back. Clay had shifted his head and was staring at the water bottle. “You want more water, Clay?” His question received no answer, but Sonny picked up the bottle and unscrewed the top. He helped Clay again in drinking some water. He gave Clay another few sips and placed the bottle back. He helped Clay lay back onto his pillow and smiled as Clay’s eyes closed and the kid drifted off to sleep.

“Sleep, kid. I’ve got your six.” Sonny headed back to his chair to keep watch. He knew it wouldn’t take the team long before they all rocked up. He hoped that seeing them all together wouldn’t upset the kid.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

“You sure you didn’t dream it?” Brock asked as he stood at the foot end of Clay’s bed and watched the sleeping man. He scratched Cerberus’ ears as the dog once again made himself comfortable at Clay’s feet.

“He was awake. He spoke to me. He drank water. He fell asleep. It’s not my fault that you all took so long to get here.” Sonny didn’t open his eyes where he lay back in his chair with his eyes closed.

“Mm.” Brock didn’t sound convinced, but he also knew that Sonny wouldn’t pull their leg with something like this. “What did he say?”

“The first word, I didn’t get, but the second one was _loftan_.”

“Please.” Brock sighed. “He’s still speaking Pashto.”

“At least he didn’t freak out.”

Brock smiled. “Which is strange, because normally if I wake up and your face is the first thing I see, I freak out.” He laughed when Sonny showed him his middle finger. “I mean, Sonny, have you looked at yourself in the mirror after you’ve woken up? You’re as scary as hell, brother.” He ducked when the magazine Sonny had on his lap flew past his head. “Careful.” He picked up the article. “You don’t want to hit the kid.”

“The kid would understand, Brock. You’re being a fucking ass,” Sonny grumbled.

“Just pulling your leg, Sonny. Don’t get cranky.” Brock stretched his arms over his head and leaned to the right and left to crack his spine. He sighed when it popped. “That’s better.” He lowered his arms and took a step backwards. “Hey, Clay.” He took a step towards the bed when he saw that their teammate stared at him.

Sonny heard the change in Brock’s voice and he got to his feet. He grinned when he saw Clay’s eyes were open. “You want some more water?” He’d taken it up with the doc and there was no problem with giving Clay water they just had to keep it to small sips.

He took his position next to Brock and both men watched Clay as he stared at them. “You want water?” Sonny reached for the bottle and smiled when Clay opened his mouth. “Okay, let’s give you some water.” He unscrewed the bottle and helped Clay to drink. He was surprised when Clay was the one who pulled back.

“That enough?” Sonny placed the bottle back. “You gonna stay awake long enough for the team to see that I’m not joking around that you are indeed awake?” He took out his phone to text Jason. Sonny glanced up when he heard Brock snicker.

“What’s so funny?”

Brock indicated to Clay. “He’s asleep again.”

Sonny shook his head. “At least you saw him awake.” He pocketed his phone again. It didn’t help getting the team here and Clay slept again.

“Yeah. It was good.” Brock smiled. He would’ve loved it if Clay spoke to them, but the fact that their brother opened his eyes was a positive sign and one he would take any day. He made his way to his own chair and pulled it closer to Clay’s bed. “Get some sleep, Sonny. I’ll keep him company.”

“Roger that.” Sonny closed his eyes. Between him and Brock they would keep Clay safe.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

Clay opened his eyes and looked around. He seemed to be in the same room he woke up in before. He noticed the two men from before. Both were asleep. The one nearest to the wall snored, but it didn’t seem to bother the one closer to the bed. They both seemed familiar, but unfamiliar at the same time. It didn’t make sense. He knew it didn’t make sense, but he couldn’t get his mind to quiet down so that he could figure stuff out.

He turned his head. He had no idea where this room was. He turned his gaze to the two sleeping men. Both of them were armed. The sight of the firearms didn’t scare him, in fact, seeing the side arms made him feel safe. Clay frowned. Guns were dangerous. Why would he feel safe if he saw the guns? He took another look at the two men. They were huge. Larger than him, of that he was certain.

Movement at the end of his bed made him look down. Clay frowned. A dog stared at him and he stared back. A small smile appeared on his face when the dog opened his mouth and appeared as if he smiled. Clay didn’t doubt himself when he thought about the dog as being male. He might not remember the dog, but something told him he was correct in his assumption. Clay flattened his hand on the bed and smiled as the large animal belly-crawled to his hand. Clay sighed as his hand touched the dog’s coat. It was silky soft. Both man and dog gazed at one another for a few seconds and then closed their eyes. They were both content.

Brock lifted his head and smiled. He’d seen the interaction between Clay and Cerberus. It seemed it turned out to be a good day.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Local Hospital: Clay’s room**

**1 Week after the rescue**

Doc looked down at his sleeping patient and couldn’t help but worry. There was something he was missing, but he couldn’t place his finger on it. He noticed that Clay stirred in his bed and frowned when he saw the beads of sweat that decorated Clay’s forehead.

“You can’t catch a break, can you, Kid?” He moved towards the ill man and regarded the monitor above Clay’s head. “Temperature is back up. This fever reducer’s not working so well. We’ll have to try something else, but in the meantime, let’s get you cooled down. He pressed the call button as started to remove the blankets that covered Clay. When the door opened behind him Doc turned and smiled. It was Nurse Laila.

“Get me some cold packs, please,” Doc said over his shoulder and chuckled as Clay moaned when the cool air touched his skin. “I know you don’t like this, but we don’t have a choice, Clay. I wished the fever of yours would break.

Laila came back in with the required cold packs and between the two of them, they placed it under his armpits, behind his back, next to his sides and in his groin area. Clay became restless as the cold seeped into his body and his head lolled from side to side on the pillow.

Doc continued to talk to Clay in a hushed voice. He knew the cold packs felt extra cold against Clay’s feverish skin. But he also knew that Clay’s body would get used to the cold pretty quickly and then the kid would calm down again.

“Where’s his team?” Laila asked.

Doc smiled. “Strange seeing the room so empty, isn’t it?” He shook his head. “Blackburn has got them training. They all needed a break from here, even if they don’t realize it themselves.”

Laila nodded as she covered the young man up with the blanket again. He’d settled down and seemed to be resting more peacefully. “You will call me if you need anything else?”

“Thank you, Nurse Laila, I will.” He smiled as the young nurse left the room. He turned his attention to the sleeping figure in bed. “You’ll like her, Clay. I can see you chatting to her for hours. Going between Pashto and English.” His smile turned into a frown. Clay still didn’t respond to them in English. He also never talked first out of his own. He would respond if a direct question was asked and he never spoke more than two words in a row. He knew the Brass would have a field day with that information. He’d heard the rumors in the beginning that went around that some of the Brass believe that Clay orchestrated his own abduction. At least those had died down. But with Clay now only speaking in Pashto, he could see those rumors returning to the surface very easily. They had to get Clay to respond in English. It was difficult, they knew about the physical injuries, the torture he sustained, but they had no idea what mental torture he had endured. Doc’s heart ached for the sleeping young man.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Local Hospital: Conference room**

**1 ½ Weeks after the rescue**

“You know I can’t make that promise, Jason.” Doc tried to reason with the man who stood at the window. They had the room on the third floor to themselves, something that Doc was grateful for. He had a feeling Jason wasn’t going to keep things together for much longer.

“Why not, Doc? By Friday he’ll be back with us for two weeks. You said yourself he’s been making good progress, and he’ll get the exact same care at the Base hospital as here. He needs to get used to certain sounds, Doc. He needs to see us in our gear. He needs to hear when the alarm goes off because of a possible threat to the base. He needs to hear the helos take off and land.”

“He’s not ready for that, Jason. Maybe if he was on half the meds than he’s on now, I could consider it.”

“I don’t understand.” Jason turned away from the window.

“Jason. You know how Clay is. How he reacts to different pain medications and other medications for that matter. The reason why he’s not experiencing pain is because we have him on a complexed cocktail of different opiates to keep his pain in check. Then there’s the ARVs that he’s taking. Those have adverse side effects which we combat with other different medications, including nausea, depression, and diarrhea. Those medications have their own side effects that’s having a negative impact on his body. And, although the poison is worked out of his system, he’s still on different medications to make sure he doesn’t suffer from any long-lasting effects of the toxins he had in his system. Yes, I can treat him at the Base hospital, but things are so much easier here.”

“Damn it, Doc! Why can’t the Kid get a fucking break!” Jason slammed his fist on the table. “I want him to be up on his feet, have my six out in the field, hear him banter with Sonny and see how all of the women on base stare after him and how he blushes when he realizes it.”

And there it was. Just what he’d been waiting for. One by one, Bravo team had erupted in frustration, anger and hurt. They all wanted their kid brother back and couldn’t understand why it wasn’t possible. Jason was the last one to cave.

“He’ll get there, Jason, and you want to know how I know?” Doc went and stood by Jason’s side. He placed his hand on the SEAL’s shoulder. “Because he has you, he has the rest of Bravo team and you all have his back. He’ll have a difficult road ahead, Jason. I’m not going to sugarcoat for you. He’s going to struggle physically and mentally. But I’m a hundred percent sure that he will make it through. Not only because he doesn’t know how to quit, but because none of you will let him quit.”

Jason nodded.

“It will take time, Jason, but he will get there.” Doc squeezed his shoulder. “Tell you what. Today is Tuesday. Let’s see how he is by Friday. If his condition improves enough, I’ll make sure the transfer to Base hospital happens. But, Jason, there’s one thing you and the rest of Bravo team need to understand. Clay will not be flying out of Afghanistan in a week or two. He will be here for at least another month, to a month and a half.”

Jason grinned. “I can live with that, Doc.”

“Great. Let’s get out of here. I need to check out Clay’s wounds and I’m hopeful that I’ll finally find him awake.”

Jason chuckled. All of Bravo team had managed to find Clay awake at one or other time, but not Doc. It was as if the kid stayed asleep on purpose. “Maybe today, Doc. You can only hope.”

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

Trent had a habit of biting his nails. It was one of the few vices he had in his life, although in all honesty, it was much better than when he was at school. Now the habit only returned when he was bored out of his skull, or worried – extremely worried.

He glanced at his hand when the taste of copper landed on his tongue. His fingers were bloodied and he swiped them clean on his pants. Trent folded his arms and frowned. There was something wrong. They were missing something, but he had no fucking clue what it could be.

“What’s going on in that head of yours, Trent?” Brock asked as he stood next to his best friend.

Trent shook his head. “Not sure.”

Brock smiled. “Normally we’re unsure of what’s going on, but not you. What’s eating you?”

Trent pointed at Clay. “He’s in pain, right?”

Brock frowned and took a closer look at Clay. Their kid brother’s face was flushed, beads of sweat dotting his skin and he had a tight grip on the sheet. He saw a faint tremble in Clay’s hands. “I thought he was on the good stuff?”

“Doc switched his pain meds out for something a bit lighter since this morning.”

“It’s not helping.”

Trent shook his head. “That’s the problem, it’s supposed to. We took him off the opioids. We don’t want him to be on that stuff too long.”

“His pain is worse than what you thought?” Things were not making sense to Brock, but he also knew Trent and his friend had to talk things through to work it out.

“It can’t be. His injuries are healing. His pain shouldn’t become worse.” Trent watched the monitors above Clay’s head. “His fever is up again as well as his pulse rate. He’s sweating and in pain.”

“I’m not following.”

Trent lifted the blanket that covered Clay’s body, pulled up Clay’s gown and gently pressed down on Clay’s abdomen. Clay moaned, his face scrunched up with pain. “Fuck.” Trent pulled out his phone. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” He stepped away from the bed and paced the room.

Brock was worried. Trent never displayed such behavior. There was something wrong, but he had no idea on what it was. “Talk to me, Trent. What’s going on?”

Trent didn’t respond but concentrated on the phone he held against his ear. When his call got answered he came to the point. “Doc, you’re needed. You also need to order a full set of blood works on the Kid.” He didn’t explain anything further as he ended the call.

“Trent, talk to me.”

Trent glanced at Clay and then back at his friend. He dragged his hand over his face. “Fuck.”

“You keep on saying that. There’s something wrong, Trent. What is it?”

Trent interlocked his hands behind his head. Closed his eyes for a second and then opened them up again. “We fucked up.”

“What do you mean?”

“If I’m right, Clay is experiencing withdrawal symptoms.”

“What? You’re not making sense.”

“Remember when he first got here his tox screens and his blood work were all fucked up, it even showed levels of opioids in his system, but we thought the readings were screwed up because of the poison in his system? We were wrong. There were opioids in his system. They drugged him.”

Brock blanched. He can think of several reasons why they would drug Clay. Including to keep him docile. “And then we continued to drug him as well.”

“And now, almost eight hours later the opioids have been worked out of his system and he’s in fucking withdrawal.” Trent focused his attention on Clay when the younger man started to become restless on the bed. “Easy, Kid, we’ve got you.” He reached out to place his hand on Clay’s forehead when Clay’s eyes snapped open and before he could even turn Clay on his side, Clay became violently ill. Both men rushed to help their friend. Trent quickly turned him on his side while Brock reached for an emesis basin.

Clay continued to heave into the basin as Trent kept him steady. He could feel the shivers that went through the younger man’s body. “You’re going to be all right.” He soothed Clay down as the man in his arms whimpered in distress. Trent looked up and found Brock’s worried gaze on him. “Find Doc.”

Trent’s words were enough to spur Brock into action. With a nod of his head, he sprinted from the room. The last thing he heard before the door closed behind him, was Clay retching again.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Local Hospital: Clay’s room**

**4 Hours later**

Jason stared down at Clay’s face as Ray continued to wipe Clay’s sweaty brow with a wet cloth. He bit down hard on his bottom lip and could feel the blood on his tongue as he managed to injure himself. He licked the wound with his tongue and shivered at the taste.

“I hate seeing him suffer like this,” Ray spoke up, breaking the stifling silence of the room.

Jason crossed his arms and nodded. “He can’t seem to catch a break.” He hated the fact that there was nothing they could do for the kid. Doc and Trent both explained that although there were different drugs on the market, like Methadone or Buprenorphine to help with withdrawal symptoms they couldn’t administer it to the kid, due to the fact that he was either allergic to some of the active ingredients, or it would work against the medication he was taking now, including the ARVs. It meant that Clay had to suffer. Something that none of them were pleased with. Already Clay was dehydrated, his urine output was low and Trent explained that his kidneys were under strain and might even stop working. It could lead to more trouble, including all of Clay’s organs shutting down.

They both smelled the foul odor that emanated from Clay’s bed and without a word, Jason pulled the covers down to start and clean his little brother up. The two best friends worked in silence and nodded their thanks to the nurse who appeared next to them and helped to clean Clay up.

Jason frowned when he realized that Clay’s breathing sounded shallow. “There’s something wrong.” He shook his head. “He’s not breathing correctly.” Jason hit the call button and at the same time he brought his phone to his ear.

Jason had not even placed his phone back in his pocket when Clay’s door banged open and Doc with Trent short on his heels stormed into the room. He and Ray stepped back and watched as Doc examined their teammate. By the frown on Doc’s face, Jason knew it wasn’t good. “Doc?”

Doc shook his head. “He’s going into respiratory failure.” He started barking out orders.

All that Jason could do was to watch as the Doc, Trent, and the nurses all gathered around Clay. When he had a clear view of the young man again, Clay was hooked to a ventilator. A machine now breathed for him.

Jason observed Trent. His brother looked haggard. He knew that neither he nor Ray appeared any better. Jason cleared his throat. “I’ll let the others know.” It wasn’t something that he wanted to share, but they had the right to know. He took his phone and stepped out of the room. The last thing he saw before the door closed was Ray reaching out to grab Clay’s hand. Jason closed his eyes. He hated this fucked up situation.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Local Hospital: Clay’s room**

**48 Hours later**

Jason glanced up as Clay’s door opened and Eric entered. Something on the Commander’s face made his gut turn. “What’s going on?”

Eric ran his hand over his face and placed his hands on his hips. He stared at the youngest member of Bravo Team without a word. Somedays, like today, he still couldn’t believe how quickly and how deeply the cocky young man had crept into their hearts. Ray was right. Clay was indeed talented. If he stayed alive, he would become one of _the_ best SEALs in history. Jason was also right. Clay was indeed a true believer, and they tended to get themselves killed. That’s the reason Bravo team kept such a close eye on him. The kid didn’t know it, but they were all worried about him. And not only because he found himself in this shitty situation, even before this, they worried. He knew that one day they’d all be retired from this life, and Clay would be out in the field, leading his own unit and they would still worry about him.

“Eric?”

Jason’s voice brought him back to the present and he sighed.

“Gonna tell me what’s going on?”

“We’ve been recalled home. We’re scheduled on the next priority flight.”

“Clay?” Jason’s voice sounded small, as if he already knew the answer.

“He’s to remain here until Doc declares him fit to fly.”

“Over my dead body. He’s not remaining here alone.” Jason’s voice changed. It was filled with anger.

“We don’t have a choice, Jason. The Brass wants us back. If we don’t go, we’ll be deemed AWOL and thrown in the brig. It will leave Clay all alone. I know that’s not what you want. That’s not what any of us wants.”

Jason lowered his head. “When is the next flight?”

“Tomorrow 0500.”

“Who else knows about this?” Jason could already imagine the reaction he would get from the team. He also knew that either Sonny’s hands would be broken, or a wall or two would have some holes in them. Most likely both.

“Doc knows. The moment Brass informed me of their decision I contacted him. He tried, Jason, but nothing is swaying them.”

“Is he allowed to stay? Doc? Will he be staying?”

“Alpha team too.”

“That’s good.” Jason yawned. He was dead on his feet. “I need to tell the team.”

“I’ll stay here.”

“Thank you.” Jason turned to leave but came to a halt. “We will not be going on any mission, Eric. Not until the kid is back with us.”

Eric nodded. He knew that. He only hoped that the Brass understood and knew that as well.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Local Hospital: Clay’s room**

**Following morning: 0400**

Sonny stood with his arms around Davis and held her against his chest as she silently sobbed. He could feel the wetness against his chest. He himself stared out in front of him with bright red swollen eyes. Clay had taken a turn for the worst during the night and Doc told them to say their goodbyes. They didn’t want to. None of them wanted to leave but the fucking Brass didn’t give a damn that their teammate was dying. Sonny swallowed. He didn’t even want to think of Clay in that manner. Eric, Jason, and Doc had spoken to the Brass for over an hour, but it didn’t help. They still had to get on that C-17 and fly out. At that moment, Sonny hated being a SEAL.

He watched as Mandy stepped up to the bed and closed her hand around Clay’s. The room was silent, except for the sounds that emanated from the different machines all around Clay’s bed. The ventilator was the loudest of them all. Mandy leaned in. Her head next to Clay’s ear. Sonny couldn’t hear what she said, but could see her lips move. She still blamed herself. It didn’t matter that each one of them had told her numerous times that it wasn’t her fault. She felt that it was. A tear rolled down her cheek but she didn’t wipe it away. Instead, she leaned in closer and pressed her lips against Clay’s forehead. She closed her eyes and stood like that for a long time before she moved away. Sonny looked up as she went to stand next to Jason and he held her to his chest.

Eric was next and Sonny’s chest swelled with the pride he felt for the commander. Their commander went toe to toe with the Brass in an attempt to get them to stay, even though it hadn’t worked. Eric would be facing serious repercussions for his actions, but Sonny knew they all had his back. The Brass would have a full-blown mutiny on their hands if Eric got thrown under the bus for trying to keep Bravo team here. And the munity wouldn’t be only from Bravo team, Alpha as well as both their support teams would make their voices heard.

Eric had his hand on Clay’s shoulder, his head also bowed low as he spoke to Clay in soft tones. His voice was louder and Sonny made out individual words. _Strong_. _Not alone_. _Fight_. _Keep on living_. He agreed with each and every word Eric uttered. Sonny watched as Eric moved away and went to stand next to Doc at the door.

“Time to say goodbye, Davis.” Sonny hugged her once more and then pushed her away from his chest. He tried to smile when she glanced up to him, but Sonny knew he failed miserably. She nodded at him and then she moved away.

When Lisa took Clay’s hand in hers, Sonny looked away. A special friendship had developed between the two. They’d even teamed up a few times to prank Sonny. Went as far as to prank Jason. Sonny smiled. Jason was still in the dark who had pranked him that time around. He also knew that Jason had already planned his revenge and was waiting to find out who the culprit was to execute that revenge.

Lisa brushed Clay’s sweaty hair from his forehead and smiled at him. Sonny couldn’t hear what she said, but by the way her lips moved, he knew she was singing to Clay. They always tried to see who could come up with the silliest song. Sonny was sure that if Clay could hear her, he would be smiling. No, he would be laughing. She kissed Clay softly on the cheek and sobbed before she moved away. Sonny wasn’t surprised to see that Eric took her against his chest.

Brock was next. Cerberus was in his vest and on his leash. They all knew that if they wanted their pup to go with them, they had to put him in work mode. Otherwise, he would not leave. He would go as far as to growl at all of them, Brock included, to stay with Clay.

Brock had gone to his knees, his head bowed, with both of Clay’s hands covered with his. Sonny bowed his own head. Ray was the believer in the team, Brock not so much. The words he heard, confirmed his suspicion. Brock wasn’t praying, he was making an oath to Clay. And as Brock vowed to find those who took Clay. Even if it was with his last breath, he would do so. He would find vengeance for Clay, if Clay couldn’t do it himself. Sonny took the same oath with Brock. He knew the rest of Bravo team did the same.

Trent moved to Clay’s bed and Sonny could see how he stared at each monitor behind Clay’s head. How his mind interpreted all the information shown on the screens as he assessed Clay’s condition for himself. Sonny didn’t need to see Trent bowing his head to know it was bad. He also clasped Clay’s hand, but remained silent. Not one word passed his lips, but his facial expression said it all. He moved away, his face expressionless, but his eyes burned with fire.

Sonny caught Ray’s gaze. He didn’t want to go next. He didn’t want to fight Ray, or Jason. Jason told him to watch over the kid. Clay was under his wing. He needed to go last. Sonny shoulders sagged with relief, when Ray nodded at him and then moved towards Clay’s bed. It came as no surprise that Ray did pray. His voice loud enough for everyone to hear. His _amen_ was echoed by the rest of them.

Jason didn’t even look at him as he moved to Clay’s side. Their team lead was devastated. Sonny knew they all looked the same. Clay started out as their rookie, but ended up as the heart of their team. Jason would leave no stone unturned to get justice, even revenge for Clay. It was strange to see how carefully Jason placed his hand on Clay’s head. Sonny could hear Jason’s voice, but the words itself were too soft. He saw Jason squeeze Clay’s hand. Saw him place Clay’s hand over his chest. He heard the words, _‘don’t give up. We are not giving up.’_ And then Jason moved away and it was his turn.

Sonny stood rooted to the spot. He didn’t want to move forward. If he moved, it meant they would leave. They would leave and Clay would be alone. He’d asked Jason what would happen if he didn’t get onto that plane. He’d contemplated long and hard. But, in the end, when Clay woke up, he wanted to be there. He wanted to tease his brother, his best friend, and his teammate for so many years to come. So he would obey the order. He would go home and he would wait. Wait for Clay to fight back and to return to them. Wait for the opportunity to find those responsible for taking Clay and wait for the chance to make sure they paid for what they had done.

Sonny cleared his throat and then his voice echoed through the room. The rest of the team took up their creed as they spoke as one.

_“My nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies._

_If I get knocked down, I will get back up, every time._

_I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mission._

_I'm never out of the fight._

_We demand discipline._

_We expect innovation._

_The lives of my teammates and the success of our mission depends on me._

_Our training is never complete._

_We train for war, we fight to win._

_I stand ready to bring the full spectrum of combat power to bear in order to achieve my mission and the goals established by my country._

_The execution of my duties will be swift and violent when required, yet guided by the principles I serve to defend._

_Brave men have fought and died building the proud tradition and feared reputation I am bound to uphold._

_In the worst of conditions, the legacy of my teammates steadies my resolve and silently guides my every deed._

I will not fail.” **1**

Bravo team took one last look at their youngest brother and then left the room. They were on their way home. Their hearts broke, but they couldn’t give up. They wouldn’t give up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. SEAL Creed: Episode 2x05 - Say again your last


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Joint Expeditionary Base–Little Creek**

**3 Days after returning home**

Eric observed the team as they gathered around the table in their briefing room. They all looked like crap. Both Brock and Sonny had bruised knuckles. Brock from taking on a punching bag without taping his hands, while Sonny, well, let’s say there was another wall on base with a fist sized hole in it. But it wasn’t their fault, not this time around. No, this he blamed squarely on the shoulders of the Brass. They knew it as well.

The Brass didn’t even give them enough time to get off the plane before they were all herded into command and a fifteen hour debriefing session started. When Trent blew up and Sonny punched the wall at the same time, Eric had enough and he said as much. Finally the team was allowed to go off base. Go to their respective homes to calm down. They had all been gone for six hours before they came back. None of them had left since.

Luckily, Captain Harrington also stepped up to the plate and the Brass had backed down. He nodded at the man who stood to the side.

“Listen up.” Eric walked around the table and took his place in front. He waited for the team to settle down, before he spoke up again. “Spoke to Doc. Spenser has taken a turn for the better. He’s still in a coma, but he’s off the ventilator and breathing on his own. His kidneys show signs of improvement as well.”

The team cheered. They fist bumped one another and a few back slaps were exchanged. Eric knew they were all relieved. He felt the same. The room quieted down when Captain Harrington took his place next to him. Eric nodded at his superior officer and took a seat next to Jason.

Harrington regarded the team that sat before him. They looked, and were beyond exhausted, and he knew the end was not in sight. They would continue to drive themselves onwards until the day they get Spenser back and the persons responsible for taking Clay Spenser in the first place either apprehended or executed. He didn’t have to talk to any of them to know which option they preferred.

He took out a well-used playing card from his pocket and placed it on the table in front of him. He could see the moment they all realized what it was. It was what they called a _fuck you card_. Not all of the squadrons used it, but those under his command were used to it and knew how it worked. It was easy. It normally meant (and in this instance it would be the case as well) that they would not like what he was about to tell them, but they had five minutes to get everything off their chests without the fear of any repercussions coming their way, but after that, they had to shut up and listen.

“You’ve got five minutes.” He watched the team. His gaze lingered on Hays. “It was on my recommendation that you were ordered back to base.”

The reaction was instantaneous. Not a single member of Bravo team remained in their seats. They were all up on their feet, screaming at the top of their lungs. Fingers got pointed at him. By the way both Reynolds and Sawyer hung on to Quinn, Harrington knew that the big 3IC of Bravo team wanted to kill him with his bare hands. Something that he knew Quinn was capable of.

Perry had cornered Blackburn and by Perry’s stance, Harrington knew that Bravo’s 2IC were close to breaking something. Physical violence was not permitted, but it didn’t mean a chair or a wall wouldn’t suffer. Harrington gazed up when Hayes stepped up and faced him head on. Hayes’ stillness made him wary. Everyone knew that it was better for Jason Hayes to explode than to be calm. If he was calm, you were dead.

“You better have a fucking good explanation for bringing us home, Captain.” Jason balled his fists. He brought his hand up and dragged it over his face. “Answer me this. Even when we informed you that Clay was dying, did you still insist that we come home?”

“Yes.”

Jason roared and with swift hands, he swiped everything from the table in front of him. He turned, wanting to hit Harrington, but ended grabbing his own hair in his hand and pulling at it sharply. Jason made no attempt to calm himself down. He didn’t want to calm down. He couldn’t think of a single thing that Harrington would say that would get him to calm down. Not a single fucking thing.

“Time’s up.” Harrington picked up the card, placed it back in his pocket and stood where he was. The noise around him didn’t die down and he was about to repeat himself when a sharp whistle brought order.

“Captain said time’s up.”

Harrington nodded at Petty Officer Davis. It was she who got the team’s attention, and with her words, they settled in. Mouths were closed, but fists were still balled and eyes were still filled with rage. He waited for them all to sit down before he spoke up again.

“Lieutenant Commander Blackburn did not know I was the one who ordered you home.” He looked at the team. “CIA operative Amanda Ellis had no knowledge of this either.” He cleared his throat. “However, through intelligence gathering we found out certain things.” He used the remote he picked up and clicked it. Javid Parwaiz’s image appeared on screen. More than one growl could be heard around the table, but they remained silent.

“You all know who this is.” He clicked again and Parwaiz’s second in command, Matin Khalil’s face appeared on the screen as well. He placed the remote on the desk and walked towards the screen. “After the information came to light that Spenser was poisoned and with what, NCIS, together with our CIA operatives started working together to find any possible link between Parwaiz and the Water Hemlock.”

“What did they find?” Jason wasn’t in a mood for long explanations.

Harrington nodded. Picked up the remote and clicked it again. A photo of a young man appeared on screen. He couldn’t be older than nineteen. With him were three burly men. All light in complexion. In fact, they could go pass as Westerners if needed.

“Meet nineteen-year old, Jansher Parwaiz. Hadiah and Jamal Ghafoor’s son.”

“What?” Jason got to his feet and walked to the screen. He took a long look at the kid and turned to Mandy. “Why didn’t we know about him before?”

Harrington answered even before Ellis could open her mouth. “Jansher is an illegitimate child. Hadiah should’ve at least been disowned by her family and by the tribe. Even kicked out of the tribe, or worse, killed, but Parwaiz loves his sister so he arranged her marriage to Adin and he took the baby in and raised him as his own. He doesn’t reside in Afghanistan, instead he lives in Pakistan. He would visit Afghanistan at most twice a year.”

Harrington stared at the team. “Intelligence has it that he was there at the compound during the day, hours before the raid.”

“No one left the compound before we went in,” Ray stated the fact.

Harrington nodded. “We found a hidden tunnel system at the northern end of the compound. It starts at the well, continues underground for five clicks before it resurfaced on the other side of the mountain.”

“That’s how Parwaiz and Matin also got out.” Jason was livid, but knew his anger wouldn’t help.

“It seems that way.” Harrington agreed.

“Who are the three stooges?”

“Jansher’s bodyguards.”

“Why does he need bodyguards?” Trent asked with a frown.

Harrington shook his head. “We don’t have that information, but we are looking into it.”

“They’ve ever been here in the US?” Jason cocked his head as he focused on the three men.

“Why do you ask?”

“Clay was attacked by two large guys. There was a third. What’s the chances that it might be them?” Jason cocked his head. Two of them actually looked a lot like the sketches composed by NCIS after Clay remembered the attack on him.

Harrington glanced over at the CIA operatives in the room and nodded to them. “We’ll see if any of them were in the country at the time of Spenser’s attempted abduction.”

Ray watched Jason. “If they were in the country, it means that Parwaiz was after Clay longer than what we thought.”

“It also means that he had intel on when we’d be at home.” Jason stared at Harrington. “There’s a leak.”

“What?” Sonny frowned. “Jase, what the hell are you on about now?”

Jason came to his feet. “That’s why you pulled us in. There’s a mole.”

Once again, the room erupted into chaos.

When Harrington nodded, Jason raised his hand and the room quieted down. “It’s not in Alpha team or in our support team. That’s why you didn’t recall them. Just us.”

“I know you trust Alpha team with your lives. You trust them with Spenser’s life.” Harrington dragged his hand over his face. “The mole is on this side of the waters. And the only people I trust are in this room.” Harrington placed his hands on his hips. “How did whoever took Spenser knew he was in the country or for how long he would be here? Training would’ve started the following day. It would’ve been the perfect time to take him and make it look like he’d gone AWOL.”

“They knew our fucking schedule,” Jason growled. “And if that is the case, those three goons might have had help to get into the country.”

Captain Harrington nodded. It was the same conclusion he’d drawn.

“Does NCIS know?”

Harrington shook his head at Jason. “No, we take this bastard down ourselves.”

“But we’re also not investigators. You know that.”

“I know, but Agent Gibbs did share something with me and I let our operatives run with it. They got something.”

“A lead on Parwaiz?”

“Not quite sure about that as yet, but a lead on where the poison came from.”

“That’s even better.” Jason sat down. “What do you have?”

A CIA operative got to his feet and Harrington moved to the side. “The Department of Agriculture requires a permit when anyone exports Water Hemlock from the States.”

“Why would they want to export the most poisonous plant in the country?” Brock was the one who raised the question.

“Because there are some cultures who use it for pain relief. Either in migraines or in stomach cramps.”

The team focused on Trent, who supplied the answer. Their medic shrugged. “Had to know all I can about the plant.”

“Makes sense.” Jason returned his attention to the man in front of the room.

“In the last decade only two permits were issued for the export of Water Hemlock. Both times it was sent to countries in Africa.”

“Another permit was issued. When? Where to? Who exported it? To who?” Jason regarded Ray. He had a bad feeling about this.

“Bear with us,” Harrington replied. He indicated for the CIA operative to continue.

“The permit was obtained by a Professor Edmond Sylvester.”

“He ever been on any watch list?”

“No. And he’ll never be.”

Jason sighed. “Let me guess, he’s dead.”

“Yes,” Harrington responded. “Agent Gibbs informed us that they went to visit the Professor and found his decomposed body at his address.”

“Suicide?”

“No. Murdered. Water Hemlock stuffed down his throat.”

Jason frowned. “That doesn’t make sense. When was he killed?”

“NCIS estimated time of death around the same time you conducted the rescue mission.”

“Someone is tying up loose ends.”

“Next question. When was it exported?”

“A month prior to the rescue of Petty Officer Spenser. And to Pakistan. More specifically to the address where Jansher stays.”

“Fuck. Are you saying that Parwaiz is the one who poisoned, Clay?” Jason shook his head. “It doesn’t make sense. If he wanted Clay dead, he could’ve shot him, slit his throat. He didn’t need to poison him.”

“Why not Jansher?” the operative inquired.

“Why? What reason would he have to do something like that?” Jason got up and paced the room. “No. It’s not Jansher and I have a feeling it’s not Parwaiz.” He watched the team. “We’re missing something.”

“After Hadiah fled from Afghanistan, where did she stay?” Jason looked around in the room. Several people shrugged. No one answered.

“We didn’t look for her there, because we didn’t know about Jansher,” Jason continued. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but women would rather poison someone to kill them than to use direct violence.”

“Are you saying, it was Hadiah who poisoned, Clay?” Ray frowned.

“It’s a possibility.”

“But why?”

“I’m not sure.” Jason glared at the CIA operatives in the room. “Any one of you care to take a guess?”

“Parwaiz doesn’t have any children. Jansher is the oldest male offspring in the family. If Parwaiz died, Jansher would become the next Tribal leader of that tribe,” Mandy spoke up for the first time.

“But then why poison Clay if she wanted to get rid of Parwaiz?” Jason threw his arms up in the air.

“Because she needed a test subject. She needed to make sure that the poison would work. And why not try it on the one person that made her life hell? Clay.” Mandy leaned back in her chair.

“That makes sense. So Parwaiz should kiss our asses since we saved his life by taking out his sister,” Sonny piped up.

Jason laughed. “I don’t think he’ll see it that way, Sonny.”

“This is still all speculation,” Ray pointed out.

“Yes. But since we now have an address for Hadiah’s son and a possible place where we can find Parwaiz, I assume we’re going to Pakistan.” Jason stared at Eric and at Harrington.

“We still have the mole that needs to be dealt with,” Harrington reminded them.

Jason agreed. It made sense. “Because we don’t want Parwaiz to know that we’re coming for him.” He frowned. “What happened to his second in command, Matin?”

“No word on him.”

Jason stared at the screen. He turned and faced Mandy. “Can we get more info on him?”

Mandy nodded. “We’ll do a deep dive. Can I ask why?”

“Because he’s the one variable in this whole equation that we haven’t taken into consideration yet.”

“You think he’s trying to get rid of Parwaiz?”

Jason shrugged at Mandy’s question. “I think it will be worth our while to take a closer look at him as well.”

“We’ll get on that,” Mandy responded.

“Thank you.” Jason observed the rest of Bravo team. They looked like death warmed up and he knew he didn’t look any better. He took a deep breath. “How long do you think you’ll need to find out more about our leak?”

“I’ve got a plan for that.”

Harrington didn’t say anything more and Jason nodded. Although they were all trusted, the fewer people that knew, the greater their chances were in finding the bastard who betrayed them. Jason clapped his hands, gaining the attention of his team. He had something to say to them and he knew they were not going to be happy with him. “We look like crap. We’re getting out of here and off base for the next twenty-four hours, unless Captain Harrington or Mandy gets something before that and calls us in.”

“No way,” Trent and Brock spoke up together.

“Fuck no,” Sonny mumbled.

“What they said.” Ray pointed at his three teammates.

Jason shook his head. “You’re supposed to be my 2IC, Ray.”

Ray shrugged. “And? Nowhere does it say that I always have to agree with you.”

“Ray.” Jason sighed. He wanted to respond but remained silent when Eric stood up.

“Then let’s make it an order and if any one of you want to object to such an order to stay off base for the next twenty-four hours, we can make it thirty-six or even forty-eight. The choice is yours.”

“Boss!” Sonny threw his arms up in the air and glared at Blackburn.

“Something you want to say, Quinn?” Eric stared the larger man down.

“Nothing good,” Sonny responded.

“Then keep those words to yourself.” Captain Harrington took his place next to Blackburn. “Dismissed.”

Jason returned his nod, slapped Ray on the back and walked towards the back of the room. He could feel his team staring at him and knew that the moment they got outside, they would be on his case. He was ready for them.

It was Ray who closed the door behind all of them and he was the first one to speak up. “What the hell, Jason?”

“Do you think for one moment that’s the kind of order I wanted to give, Ray?” Jason went toe to toe with his best friend. “I want to find the bastards responsible for taking the Kid, but Ray, we’re running on empty. We have no idea on how long it will take before we can move on the target. Let’s be optimistic and say it’s two weeks.”

“That would mean that we’d be running ourselves rugged for a total period of almost seven months, Ray. Seven long fucking months where we had to look for Clay, had to deal with all that stress, finally finding him, going through the stress of being there for him twenty-four-seven without a single break. Being recalled home twice, not taking a break the first time and this time around the few hours we did get means nothing.”

“You know as well as I do, Ray that we need to be at the top of our game with this. I, for one, am not willing to let Parwaiz, Matin, or whoever the fuck else gets away because we couldn’t do our jobs because of fatigue. When we bring Clay home, he’s still going to need us and that will be draining on us, even if we don’t want to admit it. We don’t have a choice, we need to take this one day. If not for ourselves, then for Clay.”

Jason placed his forehead against his best friend’s forehead. “Please.”

Ray nodded.

“I guess I could go and get laid,” Sonny spoke up from where he leaned against the wall.

Trent grinned. “Getting laid would be good for all of us.”

Jason laughed. “Then go get laid.”

“Roger that, Boss.” Sonny fist bumped all of them and then moved off. As he reached the corner, he turned around. “Twenty-four hours, Boss.”

“Twenty-four hours, Sonny.” Jason watched as his friend disappeared around the corner. He didn’t find it strange that with two fist bumps later Trent and Brock also disappeared. The only one remaining was Ray.

“Get going, Ray. Naima must be waiting for you as well.” Jason swung his arm over Ray’s shoulders as they walked down the passage.

“And what about you, Jase?”

“What about me?” Jason asked with a frown.

“What are you going to do?”

Jason grinned. “Going to check in on Alana and the kids. If Alana doesn’t offer me the spare bedroom, I’ll get a hotel room for the night. I won’t camp out on your couch tonight, Ray. I promise.”

Ray smiled at the same time as he shook his head. “Not necessary, Jase, and you know that.”

It was Jason’s turn to shake his head. “And rob you the chance of getting some sexy times in with Naima? I don’t think so.”

“Thanks, brother.” Ray left Jason behind as he also moved off.

Jason took out his phone and did a quick calculation in his head on what the local time was in Kabul and hit the number he’d call up. It was time he checked in on the Kid before he got in some well-deserved down time.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Afghanistan: Kabul Province**

**Local hospital: Clay’s room**

Derek ended the call and glanced down at the sleeping man. “Your brothers miss you a lot, Clay.” He took his seat again which he had vacated when he took the call and rested his elbows on his knees. “Jason tells me that Ray’s son has started talking. Apparently his first word was ass-hat and now Sonny has been banned by Naima.” Derek chuckled. “It’s never a good idea to face-time with Sonny in the room. Kids have the ability to pick up on the strangest things.”

“Jason is also sending you something from your cage. Apparently, it’s a book. _Lord of the Rings_? Jason says by the many highlights and notes made in the margins it seems to be one of your favorites. I’ve never read the book myself, but Trish did drag me to the movies to see the trilogy. It was good. However, if you tell Trish I said that, I’ll never speak to you again.”

Derek shrugged. “In any case the book should be here within the next day or so. He’s going to put it on a priority flight. He made me promise to read it to you. I know Franklin and Full Metal will have no problem in reading to you as well.” Derek grinned. “Yes, I know, it’s strange to think that Scott can read, but he’s full of surprises. He’s into a thing called LARPing? Not exactly sure what it is, except that he dresses up in weird outfits and then tries to mimic some weird accent. Also, with his big size, there’s not many who try to make fun of him so he gets away with it. It’s hilarious.”

Derek cleared his throat. “They also found a possible lead on those bastards who took you, Spenser. Jason didn’t say much, but it’s understandable, especially since neither of us has a secure phone.”

He took a deep breath. “They are still rooting for you, Kid. Each and every day. Don’t give up hope, because they, we, are not giving up hope on you.” Derek stared at Clay for a long time before he leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. He totally missed it when Clay grabbed the sheet and moved his head side to side before he settled down again.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

“You’re still in my head.” Clay spoke up the moment he spotted Brian next to him.

“Correct.” Brian lowered himself onto the sand and stared out at the sea. “How you’re doing?”

Clay shrugged. “Not sure. The fact that I’m holding a conversation with my dead best friend in my head should answer that question.”

Brian smiled. “I’m keeping you sane.”

Clay returned the smile. “I didn’t know that’s what you’re calling it.”

“What else did you want to call it?”

Clay remained silent.

“What’s bothering you?” Brian punched Clay on the arm.

Clay snorted. “You know what’s bothering me.”

“Yes, I do.” Brian stared out at the ocean again. “I also asked you an important question the last time. You’ve yet to answer me.” He received no answer and rolled his eyes. “You do realize, that it doesn’t work that way?”

“Which way would that be?”

“The ‘ignore him, he’s part of my imagination’ way.” Brian focused his attention on the man next to him.

“You’re wrong.”

Brian cocked his head. “I’m never wrong, but on what exactly do you think I’m wrong?”

“You make my head spin.”

“True, but you always had the ability to keep up with me, so I don’t see what the problem is. And, Clay, stop stalling.”

“They will not accept me,” Clay blurted the words out.

“Okay.” Brian nodded. “Why won’t they not accept you?”

“Because.”

“Because?” Brian shook his head. “Wait, are you of the opinion that Bravo team – your brothers – won’t accept you because of what had happened to you?”

The fact that Clay refused to meet his gaze gave Brian the answer he was looking for.

“You’re a fucking idiot.” Brian punched his best friend in the arm. “Do you think for one moment that they cared about what you had to do when you were held captive? When you were fed drugs to keep you docile and used in such a degrading manner?” Brian shook his head. “They would _never_ abandon you. Not for anything in the world, but more specifically, not for something like that.”

“How can you be so sure?” Clay lowered his head onto his arms.

“Would I abandon you, Clay? Would you abandon me?”

Clay shook his head. “You’re my brother. My best friend.”

“And they are yours.” Brian sighed. “Listen, I’m not saying it’s going to go easily, you’re still in for a bumpy ride, but trust me when I tell you this, Bravo team won’t forsake you. They will be by your side every step of the way and where you find yourself unable to walk, they will carry you. I promise you.”

“I guess.”

Brian nodded. He understood how difficult this situation was for Clay. “If you cannot believe in them, then believe in me.” He placed his hand on Clay’s shoulder. “Look at me, Clay.”

Clay kept on staring at the ocean.

“Please,” Brian tried again. He smiled when Clay lifted his head and glanced at him. “Believe in me that they will keep you safe, because I believe in them. They are more than your team members. They are your brothers, your family. But, even more important, I chose them to keep you safe since I can no longer can do that. They are your guardian angels, Clay, and they will always be by your side whenever you need them. I promise you.”

Clay lowered his head onto his knees and closed his eyes. He wanted to believe what Brian had told him. He truly did, but it was difficult. What he went through. He wasn’t sure.

Brian knew that Clay still struggled. He still faced an uphill battle, but he also knew his best friend. He was one of the strongest men he’d ever known. He would survive this and Bravo team would be right next to him every step of the way. “Be strong, brother. You’re not alone. Your brothers are with you – always,” Brian whispered the words to Clay before he disappeared.

It was time for Clay to wake up.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Afghanistan: Kabul Province**

**Local hospital: Clay’s room**

**1 Day later**

Scott Carter, better known as Full Metal, leaned back against the wall behind him. The chair he sat on balanced on two legs. His feet rested on the bed. He chuckled to himself as he read from the book. It’s been ages since he last read _The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy._ He had no idea where Derek found the paperback, but it was worth reading again.

“I hated reading at school,” he chatted as he tossed the book on the bed. “But then I got ill, like in seriously ill and I had been confined to my bed for three months. There was nothing else I could do, except read. One of the first books read from beginning to end was that one.” Scott smiled again. “It was a bad time for me and my family, but I pulled through. I mean, I even managed to become what I always wanted to be.”

Scott glanced up and nearly tumbled out of his chair. “Fucking hell, Spenser, give a man a fair warning. Don’t just wake up and stare at me like that. I mean, a groan, or a fidget of some kind is always welcomed.” He stood up and pressed the call button next to Clay’s head.

“Good to see you awake, Kid. You had us all worried.” Scott frowned when he received no answer. “Spenser, can you hear me?”

Bravo’s rookie was awake, but he stared out in front of him, without blinking an eye.

A tear rolled from Clay’s eye and Scott groaned. He gently placed his hand over Clay’s. “It’s going to be all right, Kid. I promise you. We’ve all got your back.” He looked up when the door opened.

“Nurse Laila, he’s awake.” He couldn’t help grinning.

“That’s good news.” Laila walked up to the bed.

“Clay?” She frowned when she received no response. “Clay?” She tried again, but her patient gave no indication that he heard her. She observed and took note of the readouts displayed on the different monitors. Everything was in normal range.

“Why don’t you continue to talk to him? I’ll call Doc.”

“Sure, no problem.” Scott stayed where he was as the nurse left the room. He didn’t say a word to the nurse, but when she approached Clay’s bed, the younger man’s hand that was underneath his own, started to tremble.

“You’re going to be okay, Spenser. You’re safe here. I know you don’t recognize Nurse Laila, but she’s been taking care of you since we found you. She’s been a real angel.” He grinned when Clay’s hand tightened around his for a second before going limp again.

The door opened up and Scott squeezed Clay’s hand as he felt it started trembling again. “It’s just Doc. No one else.” He looked up when Doc neared Clay’s bed.

“He’s not blinking, and that’s as weird as shit can be, but he’s definitely aware of what’s going on around him, Doc. He squeezed my hand and he’s nervous every time that door opens and someone walks in,” Scott explained.

“That’s good. Let’s take a look.” Doc came to a halt next to the bed. He could see the tension in Clay’s body and even noticed how Clay’s hands shook. He needed to do a quick examination, but he also didn’t want to scare the kid into a state of panic.

“Okay. I need to examine you quickly, but I will explain to you exactly what I’m going to do before I touch you.” He received no response. Doc took out his penlight and showed Clay what it was before he switched on the small light and check Clay’s pupils. “Good. Both of your eyes are reacting equally to the light.” Doc continued the same way until he was finally done.

“Good job. Things are looking good.” Doc glanced at the SEAL that stood across from him who gave support to Clay without saying a single word. “Let’s talk for a moment.”

Scott nodded. “We’ll be right outside, Spenser.” He started to move away, but something grabbed his wrist and when he peered down, he saw that Clay had grabbed hold of him and was holding on tight.

“Looks like I’m not going anywhere soon, Doc.” He smiled at Clay. “I won’t leave.” He managed to pull his chair forward and sat down. Clay’s grip on his arm didn’t lessen, but where he stared into space a few minutes ago, his gaze was firmly set on Scott.

“Okay. I’m going to order some blood tests. It’s just to be on the safe side. I am a bit worried about the fact that he’s verbally unresponsive, but since he’s been in a coma for almost a week, I’m not going to panic right now. I would suggest that you keep on talking to him. He trusts you and that’s important right now.”

“I can do that.” Full Metal nodded. “Will you let Bravo know?”

“I will. I think they will be pleased with the news.” Doc smiled. “I’ll send Nurse Laila to draw the blood.”

Scott shook his head. “Don’t think that’s a good idea, Doc. He didn’t react positively to her. You know Derek is Alpha team’s medic. He can do it.” Scott had full confidence in his 2IC. Something in his gut told him that Clay didn’t trust women at this stage. He had no idea why, but if he could ease Clay’s fears in any way possible, then that was what he was going to do.

“I’ll call him as well,” Doc agreed.

“No need, Doc. He should be here any moment.”

“He here to relieve you?”

“Not so sure about the relieve part of things now, Doc, we’ll have to wait and see.” Scott grinned. He knew it was a serious situation, but the fact that the Spenser had opened his eyes made things so much better.

“Okay. I’ll leave him instructions at the nurses’ desk.” With a nod of the head, Doc exited the room.

Scott checked Spenser out. The younger man still stared at him. His hand also still attached to Scott’s wrist. At least it seemed like he’d stopped trembling. Scott took that as a good sign.

He slowly reached and took the book that was on the bed. He managed to open it single handedly. “What do you say? Want to hear more about Arthur and Ford?” Scott received no reply, but it didn’t stop him as he started reading. By the second page, Spenser had loosened the grip he had on Scott’s wrist and by the third page his eyes were closed and Scott was sure he’d fallen asleep. He smiled and continued to read.

****

**Small Fandom Big Bang Round 8**

When Clay woke up again, the first thing he noticed was the silence. He couldn’t hear a thing except a faint beeping sound coming from somewhere over his head. He gazed around and by the dimness of the room, he deduced that it was night. The smell made him aware he was in hospital, but he couldn’t remember where or for what. He tried to recall, but whatever happened to him, stayed beyond his mind’s reach.

Movement to his left made him turn his head. Clay frowned. Two men were sprawled out on some uncomfortable looking chairs, fast asleep. They were dressed in military uniform, but with no visible patches to indicate their names or even their ranks. They seemed familiar, but his mind refused to associate them with any memory that might be of help. It also felt like _déjà vu_. But he wasn’t sure if it was the same men.

Clay knew he’d seen them before. He wanted to go as far as to say that he’d interacted with them before, even laughed with them, but when and where didn’t want to come back to him. It started to grate on his nerves. He also became aware of the fact that his whole body ached. Especially his left foot. Clay glanced down and noticed that both his legs had casts on as well as his right arm. For a moment he wondered if he was involved in a helo crash. He closed his eyes, but snapped them open again.

“Brian!” He couldn’t help but to scream out the name. “Brian!” Clay yelled and looked around. He had no idea where Brian was. He tried to push himself up, but with only one hand and a body that felt as if it wanted to fall apart at any second, Clay had difficulties in completing the simple task.

“Fuck,” he grunted as his arm gave way and he landed on his back. He needed to get out of the bed. Brian… Brian’s chute didn’t open. He had to find his friend. They need to get to him. He couldn’t be dead. He couldn’t. “Brian!”

Clay tried to shuffle himself off the bed, but between the different IV lines, his catheter, and the bed sheets, he only managed to get himself tangled up and he screamed out of frustration. “NO!”

Hands reached for him and he lashed out. His fist found flesh and the punch sounded through the room. The hands disappeared. A chair fell over, someone landed against a wall with a grunt. Clay didn’t see who was there. He only knew he had to get away. He had to get to Brian. He couldn’t be too late. He needed to save Brian.

****

**Small Fandom Big Bang Round 8**

Derek was the first to wake with a jump when Clay started to scream. For a moment, he thought they were under attack and he had his Glock in his hand, scanning for a possible threat before he realized that it was the Kid who was screaming for Brian.

Brian Armstrong. Clay’s best friend who died more than a year ago.

“Shit.” Derek tugged the pistol in at the back of his trousers and quickly approached Clay on the bed. That was his first mistake, as he reached out, Clay’s first struck true and hit him square on the jaw. He wouldn’t have thought that the Kid had so much strength in him, but he knew better when he fell over his chair and crashed against the wall.

“Fuck!” Derek grunted as he pushed himself off the wall. He grabbed hold of Scott and pulled him away from the still struggling Clay.

“Not a good idea.” He touched his jaw. It hurt like fuck. Luckily, he still could talk, so he didn’t think it was fractured.

Derek was grateful that Scott listened to him. “Clay! Clay!” Derek called out. He had to get through to the distraught man, but he had no idea how, except to yell at him and hoped that Clay would snap out of wherever he found himself in.

“Clay!” he yelled again as Clay managed to untangle himself and he rushed forward as the kid tumbled from the bed. The kid didn’t need to break any other bones or sustain a head injury on top of everything else.

As he made a grab for Clay, Scott’s own voice sounded through the room. Derek knew that tone. It was the tone of a very pissed off team leader barking orders to his team who was busy fucking up. He himself wanted to cringe away from the voice. He caught Clay as the young man fell off the bed and made a tumble towards the floor.

“Got you, Kid.” Derek turned their bodies and brought Clay up to his chest. He knew he was taking a calculated risk by holding Clay to his chest. It seemed to pay off, as Clay had stopped screaming, but he trembled from head to toe and his breathing was extremely shallow. “Deep breaths. Follow my lead.” He took Clay’s uninjured hand and placed it against his chest. “Feel my heart, slow down your breathing. Nice and easy. You’re safe. Deep breaths, Clay. Deep breaths.”

Derek glanced up as Scott appeared in his line of sight. He was shocked to see how rattled his team lead appeared. He had a feeling that he didn’t look any better himself.

“Doc is on his way,” Scott informed him as he squatted in front of them. He had the bed sheet in his hand and without thinking about it twice, he ripped a strip of the material and he wrapped Clay’s bleeding arm from where he ripped the IV lines free to stop the bleeding.

Derek nodded. He didn’t even hear Scott phoning Doc. “Easy, Clay. You’re doing well. Just take some deep breaths.” Derek concentrated on the man against his chest. His jaw still throbbed, but for the moment he ignored it. With Clay against his chest, he could also feel that the IV lines in Clay’s arm wasn’t the only thing ripped out. He hoped that Clay didn’t sustain any further injury from the ripped-out catheter line.

“What the fuck?” Scott asked as he dragged his hand across his face. He’d tossed the rest of the sheet on the floor next to them.

Derek shook his head and reached for the discarded sheet. Clay was merely dressed in a thin hospital gown and although it was still tucked around his waist, he didn’t want anyone to notice the wet patch on it.

“Not sure, man. Whatever it was, I scared myself shitless.” Derek took a deep breath. “And my fucking jaw is killing me.”

Scott grinned. “It’s already swollen and turning blue. He got in a good hit.”

“It was a fucking excellent hit. Fuck, if he hits this hard when he’s drugged up and not aware of what’s going on around him, I don’t want to feel that right fist of his when he’s at full strength.”

“I agree with you. We’ll let Doc take a look at it the moment we’ve got this one settled back in bed.” Scott smiled. “He’s out for the count.”

Derek glanced down. Clay lay against his chest, his breathing evened out, his eyes closed. Derek reached up and check for a pulse. He sighed when he found it easily. It was strong and steady. “This took all of the energy he had in his body. I won’t be surprised if he stays asleep for a good few hours.”

They both looked up when the door opened and Doc nearly flew into the room. “What happened?” He crouched down next to Derek and Clay and took Clay’s wrist in his hand, checking his pulse.

“Not sure. I woke up with him screaming while trying to get out of bed at the same time,” Derek explained.

“He suffered from night terrors before,” Doc commented as he continued to check Clay out right there on the floor. When he was satisfied that Clay had done no major damage to himself, he came to his feet. “Let’s get him back to bed.” Between the three men they got him settled back in bed.

“I need to check if he injured himself when he ripped out his catheter line. Would you mind stepping out for a moment?” Doc inquired and wasn’t surprised when the two SEALs left with a mere nod. He quickly did the examination. It seemed Clay had luck on his side as he spotted no blood in the urine or at the tip of Clay’s penis. He would monitor Clay’s urinal output carefully to make sure he had suffered no damage. He gave Clay a quick wipe down with a damp cloth he got from the tiny bathroom and after getting supplies for a new catheter line as well as the other IV lines from the supply cabinet he re-inserted the catheter and hooked Clay back to the IV bags. He also changed Clay’s hospital gown and covered him up with the thin blanket. He would get a nurse to change the bedding in a while. Now he only wanted Clay to get some rest.

Bravo team was over the moon when they heard that Clay had woken up. They’d made a short video of them all and Doc couldn’t wait to show it to Clay. The young man needed to see his teammates.

****

**Small Fandom Big Bang Round 8**

**Pakistan: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province: Peshawar**

**3 Days later**

“TOC, this is Bravo one, how copy?”

_“Good copy, Bravo one.”_

“We’re in position.”

_“Copy, Bravo one. Good luck.”_

The comms went silent as the SEAL team moved silently through the night to approach their target three buildings down. Jansher’s status was upgraded from a person of interest, to that of an HVT **1**. For Bravo team it only meant that there had to be more speed to their actions. Something that they had no problem with.

Local time was just before 0200, and not even a single dog stirred as they made their way across the street and down the lane to the house on the corner.

Without even blinking they took out the two armed guards at the entrance to the house. Bravo team stepped over the bodies, and swiftly scaled the eight foot wall. The reinforced metal plated gate was not an option at this stage as it only opened up from the inside and they didn’t want to blow it up for fear of waking up the entire neighborhood.

Another two guards got taken out before they reached the stairs of the three story mansion. It was clear that Parwaiz had money and that he wasn’t afraid to show to the world that he was rich.

Trent and Sonny breached the front door with a loud bang. Ray went in first with Brock on his heels. Jason followed while Sonny and Trent brought up the rear. The ground floor remained silent, but the team could hear footsteps running overhead and they readied themselves for a possible shoot out. After observing the house for the last twenty-four hours, they’d determined that Jansher was home. As well as his three bodyguards. All four men stayed in the main house. There was no sign of either Parwaiz or Matin. Bravo team wasn’t too concerned about that. If they could get Jansher, Mandy would lean hard on him to get info on Parwaiz and even maybe Matin.

All of them wanted first go at the three bodyguards. Since they had photos of the three men with Jansher the CIA ran facial comparison software for possible entry into the US and they had hit gold. All three had come into the country around the same time, although they did travel on different airlines and had passports from different countries. Facial recognition came back at over ninety percent on each of the men, and for Bravo team, that was enough.

They cleared the ground floor. The footsteps higher up went silent, and the team shared a look. There was no doubt in any of their minds that whoever was above them had fortified their position and was not coming down willingly.

Using hand signals, Jason directed his men up the stairs. He wished they had Cerberus with them, but their pup strained a leg muscle the previous day and Brock made the call to let their seventh team member sit this one out.

The team rounded the corner to the first floor. It appeared devoid of life, but they took no chances as they started to clear the floor. A raised fist by Ray had the team dropping to a knee. He indicated to a thin wire that ran across the passage at ankle height. Jason wanted to scream. Not only did the bastards plan on seeing if they could shoot their way pass Bravo team, they had also tried to level the playing field with booby-traps. Each one of them carefully stepped over the wire and continued to the top floor.

Sonny, as the rear, had stepped onto the last landing when a flash bang exploded. At the same time, different weapons started firing off shots. Bravo team took cover and returned fire. None of them were prepared to explode a frag. The area too small and they didn’t want to blow themselves up in the process. Visibility was limited. Between the dark hallway and the smoke of the flash grenade, they struggled to identify their targets’ positions. They all continued to do the one thing they were trained to do. Point the muzzle of their guns in the general direction they wanted to shoot, and of course, pull the triggers.

A grunt of pain, followed by a thud next to Brock made him turn. Sonny was down on his back. “Fuck! Man down!” he yelled as he turned knowing that the rest of the team would cover him as he checked on his fallen brother.

“Sonny! Sonny!” he called out repeatedly before the large man grunted and gasped for air. “Where are you hit?” He ran his hand over Sonny’s body, looking for an entrance wound, but his hands stayed dry and he couldn’t find any indication that Sonny had been hit. But the fact that the big guy was down told him that there had to be something wrong.

“Damn it, Sonny, answer me!” Brock yelled. He wanted to pick Sonny up by his vest and shake him hard. He ignored Jason’s frantic call in his ear for an update and did the same with TOC. Instead, he concentrated on his friend.

“Fuck,” Sonny grunted. He gently moved his arm and placed his hand in the middle of his chest. “Fuck,” he repeated the curse word again.

“Where, Sonny?” Brock grabbed hold of his teammate’s hand and pushed it away. Then he noticed it. The burned hole in the middle of Sonny’s vest. The fact that he didn’t see any blood gave Brock hope. He wiggled his hand in between Sonny’s body plate and chest. It was dry. The plate did its job. Sonny would spot a nice sized bruise, but he would live. That was the most important thing.

“You’re fine,” Brock found his voice. “Just breathe through it.” He tapped Sonny on the shoulder and when Sonny reached for him, he pulled his friend to a seated position. “You all right?”

Sonny nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Great.” Brock slapped him on the shoulder, grabbed Sonny’s weapon that had landed next to him on the floor, pushed it into Sonny’s hands and grinned. “Let’s get some shooting in.” He pressed down on his comms. “Bravo three is alive and kicking.” With a single movement, Brock turned around and started firing at the unseen enemy. He grinned when Sonny joined him.

The rest of Bravo team had continued to shoot, but he knew they were worried. Now that they heard Sonny was all right and saw the man next to him, they would all relax.

The team continued to shoot, until it became silent in front of them. “Cease fire,” Jason ordered as he took his finger from the trigger, but kept his weapon at a ready. A hand signal had both Ray and Trent moving forward as the rest of them stayed back.

“Two confirmed dead. No one else here, Boss.” Trent’s voice sounded through the comms as they cleared the area where the shooters was. He took out his phone, and, as Ray lifted their heads, snapped photos of each of the men. He recognized them from the photos the CIA had on them. They were two of Jansher’s bodyguards, but he was unsure about their names. He knew when they checked in with TOC they would be provided with names and details.

 _“Let’s clear the rest of this level.”_ Jason’s order came through the comms. The team continued on. They cleared another three rooms. A fourth door on the right-hand side was closed.

Ray halted them again. Another tripwire ran across the passage. They all climbed over it and stood at the front of the closed door.

“Would’ve been good if we had Cerb right about now,” Sonny spoke up in a low rumble.

Jason grunted in agreement. They had to clear the room. For that, the door had to be breached. The problem was that they had no idea of the door was rigged with explosives. He indicated to his team to move away. They went back over the tripwire and gathered in the middle of the passage.

“I want options, talk to me.”

“Tell me again, why can’t we pick up heat signatures from inside of this fucking building?” Sonny leaned against the wall. He shook his head when Trent moved in his direction. “I’m fine,” he answered the unasked question and kept his attention on Jason.

“Parwaiz apparently loves using reinforced material in buildings he doesn’t want people snooping around in,” Jason responded.

“Like that fucking building at the compound.” Brock balled his fists at the thought of the number of boys they’d rescued from that single building the same night they’d found Clay.

“But the drone in place is still able to tell us if someone is on the grounds?” Sonny wanted to confirm.

Jason nodded. “What are you thinking, Sonny?”

“We know that the rest of the house is cleared. TOC would’ve informed us if we had a couple of squirters, so there’s only one place they could be. In that room.” Sonny pointed towards the door. “If that door is rigged, they will only blow themselves up. No one in the CIA said anything about them being martyrs or that they would blow themselves up if cornered.”

“You saying you don’t believe the door is rigged?” Jason stared at Ray, even as he asked his 3IC the question.

“No.” Sonny shook his head.

“Ray? Brock? Trent?” Jason asked them all.

“Sometimes we have to listen to Sonny, Boss. Even if we don’t want to,” Ray responded with a grin, while the other two nodded in agreement.”

Jason turned and took another look at the door. Except for the tripwire spun across the passage he couldn’t detect any signs of a possible explosive rigged to the door. The tripwire itself could suggest something might blow up if they were not careful, but it could also be a decoy. He ran the different scenarios through his head. Finally, he keyed his comms. “Bravo one to TOC, copy?”

 _“Copy, Bravo one.”_ Eric’s voice sounded clear through the comms.

“Since we engaged, any movement on the property? Either from anywhere else on the grounds or from the main house itself?”

_“No movement, Bravo one. You looking for someone?”_

“Just making sure we’re not missing any ducks.” Jason released the comms and turned to his men. “We do this quickly and we do it smoothly.” Jason placed his hand on Sonny’s shoulder. “Remember, we want Jansher alive.”

“Gonna try my best, Boss, but I can’t make any promises.”

“I know, Sonny.” Jason fist bumped the team before they all readied themselves. They had to breach one final door, and then hopefully, they would be in a position to get some answers. The team formed up and moved towards the door. Jason gave way, and Trent placed the shotgun against the door and pulled the trigger. Jason held his breath. The door splintered, and Brock kicked it open. The team stepped inside, ready for action.

They were immediately greeted with shots going off from both sides of the room. As they’d put their NVGs back on before they breached the door, they had no problem spotting their targets. Jansher’s last bodyguard was to the left, Jansher himself to their right. Ray had no problem in double tapping the bodyguard. The pink mist sprayed out behind him even as he tumbled to the floor.

Trent was the one who took the shot. He hit Jansher high enough in the arm and the young man screamed in pain as he dropped the rifle he had on him. That was all the Sonny needed as he barreled forward and tackled the teen to the floor. With easy movements, he turned him on to his stomach and used zip ties to secure the teen’s hands behind his back.

“Shut the fuck up man, you’re not dying,” Sonny groused as he got to his feet and pulled their target with him.

He held on to Jansher’s arm and steered him out of the room. Not wanting to take a chance with the tripwire, Sonny picked the man up in a fireman’s carry and headed down the passage and down the stairs. He navigated the tripwire between the first and second floor and only placed his cargo down when he reached the foyer.

“Jesus, Trent. Instead of wrapping his arm, can you stuff that thing in his mouth? My fucking ears, man. He screams like a girl,” Sonny moaned as he used his finger to rub his ear vigorously.

Trent snorted and shook his head. He used his scissors to cut Jansher’s sleeve off and started cleaning the wound. His actions were rough, but not unkind, but it didn’t mean that the young man liked it. He continued to scream and yell in what they believed to be Pashto, as it wasn’t Arabic since neither Trent nor Ray could understand what he screamed.

“Boss, do something,” Sonny complained again. “If you don’t, I’m gonna,” he added as an extra threat.

Jason rolled his eyes at his brother, but made his way over to where Trent and Jansher was. “He gonna live?”

“Are you doubting my shooting abilities, Boss, or my medical knowledge?” Trent grinned. He used gauze to clean the wound and then pulled a flat looking pouch out of his med-bag. He ripped it open and poured the powder substance into the wound. The blood flow stopped as it clotted and he used another strip of gauze to wrap the wound up tightly.

“Still can’t believe how quickly it works.” Jason shook his head.

“Boss!” Sonny yelled behind him.

Jason sighed. He turned and faced the kid. “Hey, shut up. You understand? Keep quiet.” He placed his finger on his lips and hoped that he got the message clear. It didn’t help.

Ray appeared next to him. “ _Kun hadiana_.” He repeated the words again.

The young man finally quieted down.

“What did you say to him?” Jason inquired.

“Told him to be calm, quiet.” Ray shrugged.

“Thank you, Ray,” Sonny piped up. “Now Trent just has to check my ears out.”

Jason snorted. “The fact that you can’t hear, Sonny, has got nothing to do with the wailing of this kid, more to do about you not using your ears as they are intended to be used.” Before Sonny could reply, Jason walked away.

“TOC this is Bravo one. Package secured. Moving to exfil.”

_“Roger, Bravo one.”_

Jason turned back to Trent. “We ready to go?”

“Ready, Boss.”

“Let’s move out.”

The team got in formation. With Trent and their target in the middle, they moved out of the house. Brock got the large gate opened and they moved out. They walked the two klicks to where their helo waited on them to take them back to base. For once, their mission had gone as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. HVT - High Value Target


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Afghanistan: Kabul Province**

**Local hospital: Clay’s room**

**2 Days after HVT pick up**

“Doc says he’s still not talking.” Full Metal leaned with his shoulder against the door frame and looked on as his 2IC sat and stared at the young man in the hospital bed.

Derek shook his head. “Not at all.”

“You’re worried,” Full Metal stated.

“I am. I’ve got no idea on how to help him. I have a feeling that even Doc has no idea what to do.”

“What was his reaction to Bravo’s video?” Full Metal stepped deeper into the hospital room.

“He refused to look at it. He started to hyperventilate. Nearly had a full-blown panic attack.”

“Do we know why?”

Derek shook his head. “Doc says it can be a number of things. He doesn’t want to speculate.”

Full Metal remained quiet before he spoke up again. “When he woke up the first time, did you hear about it?” Alpha team might be tight with Bravo, but certain things were still only Bravo team business, and unless Bravo team wanted anyone else to know, nothing got out.

Derek nodded. He was close to the kid. Especially since they were neighbors. “The very first time he woke up, Doctor West fucked up and sedated him. Sonny and Jason nearly killed the man. After that he woke up in clear terror.” Derek sighed and glanced at his team lead. “When he woke up again, he was much calmer, but he only responded in Pashto.”

Scott’s eyes grew large at the news. “Fuck.”

Derek hummed in agreement. He didn’t need to tell his team lead that the information he shared would not go further than the room they were in. “Then after that, things went south again.”

“He hasn’t spoken to anyone about what happened?”

“Not as far as I know.” Derek glanced at the sleeping SEAL. “I wished I knew how to help him.”

“Being here is already helping... You know that. That’s why we’re brothers. We stick together.” Full Metal remained positive. He had to. They all had to for Clay’s sake.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Pakistan: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province: Peshawar**

**4 Days after HVT pick up**

Mandy glared at Jason, but the SEAL refused to back down.

“It’s not a CIA sanctioned operation. You have no right in telling me what I, or for that matter my team, can or cannot do.” Jason crossed his arms over his chest.

“You’re not listening to reason, Jason,” Mandy tried again.

Jason shook his head. “I don’t need to listen to reason. He’s got information that we want. We don’t have time to coddle him by smiling and making sure he’s warm enough and has something to eat. You had your turn. You’re not getting the answers we want. Now it’s our turn.”

Mandy huffed. “Did you for once think that the kid might not have the answers you’re looking for?”

“No.” Jason leaned against the wall. “He has the answers, Mandy. He’s not an innocent young boy. He’s nineteen-years-old. He pointed an AK-47 at us and pulled the trigger. He knew what he was doing. He knows where Parwaiz is. And he’s going to tell me. Even if I have to torture him to get it.”

“And the Geneva Convention?” Mandy snapped back.

Jason became quiet. “What the fuck?” He moved from the wall and stepped into her personal space. “They took Clay. They had him for more than six fucking months. They tortured him. Do you think for one moment that they thought about _his_ rights when they did that? Do you?”

Jason moved back. “I don’t know why you’re suddenly walking the straight and narrow with this kid, but I’m telling you, he’s a fucking terrorist and he wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet between your eyes or cut our throats.”

Mandy threw her arms in the air. “Then go at it.” She stomped away, not even looking back.

Jason shrugged. He had no idea why her panties were in a twist and at the moment, he didn’t give a damn. He reached for his phone. When the call was answered, he got straight to the point. “We’re on.” He ended the call and made his way to the holding cells. He would personally escort their target to the interrogation room, and they would get the answers they were looking for.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Pakistan**

**Temporary briefing room: Camp Badaber**

Eric stared at Jason and then at Ray. “Are you sure?” It seemed the pair got more out of the interrogation than what they could’ve hoped for.

Both master and senior chief nodded. Their knuckles were bruised, their expressions grim and their shoulders stiff. Both men wouldn’t have hesitated one second to kill the man responsible for this FUBAR situation if he were right in front of them.

“I showed him a picture,” Jason spoke up.

“And he didn’t ID the man just because he wanted you to stop the interrogation?”

Jason growled, but didn’t respond. Ray shook his head.

“Did you notify Alpha team?” Eric raised his hands in surrender when both men glared at him. “Fuck.” He rose to his feet. “But we’re still missing one link to this whole puzzle.”

“Agreed, but now that we’ve got this, Harrington will have no difficulty finding that last piece.” Jason dragged his coffee mug closer.

“What about Jansher?”

“What about him?” Ray leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table.

“Are we sending him to Gitmo?” Eric watched the two men.

Jason sighed, but finally shook his head. “No. I wish we could, but there’s no evidence that he was involved in any act of terrorism. We can’t even say that he was aware of Clay’s abduction as he spent most of the time here in Pakistan.” He pushed the empty mug to the side and also got to his feet. “Let the local police deal with him. I do want us to go back to Parwaiz’s home.”

“Which one?”

“This one here,” Jason responded.

“Why?”

“Because I have a feeling we might find something that would make our case even more water tight.”

Eric frowned. “Like what?”

“Think about it. Hadiah lived in that house with Jansher for almost four months. When she went to visit Parwaiz, she didn’t know she would end up with two bullets in her skull. There must be at least one piece of paper that could be useful to us.” Jason paced.

“We know that neither Parwaiz nor Matin have returned to that house since they fled the compound. We never searched for any documents. There’s a very high chance that we might find something.”

Eric shook his head. He spoke up when it looked like Jason wanted to interrupt him. “Hear me out. None of the documents in that house will be in English. None of you can read Pashto or Dari. I know between Ray and Trent they can read some Arabic, but that’s it. It will mean you’ll have to take an interpreter with you. Are you willing to take that risk? Willing to let whatever civilian you take with, see something that might be of value to us that they decided not to share with you, but to use that information against us?”

“We bring everything we find back here.”

Eric shook his head again. “I’m not willing to take that risk.”

“Damn it!” Jason slammed his fist against the table. “You know I wouldn’t have suggested that if I didn’t think it would be worth our while.”

“And I’m telling you, it’s not worth the risk.” Eric closed the distance between them. “And I am making it an order, Hayes, you will not go to Parwaiz’s home and look for any possible documents that link him and or Hadiah with our mole back home. Do I make myself clear, Master Chief?”

Jason bristled with anger but he kept his poise. “Roger, Commander.”

“Good. That’s settled. I will contact Captain Harrington and let you know what our next move is.”

Ray watched his commanding officer and his team lead. “Are we not going to go see Clay?”

Eric’s shoulders sagged. “No.”

“Blackburn.” Ray came to his feet.

“Don’t start with me as well, Perry.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Get out of here. I’ll call for you when I hear from Harrington.” Eric dismissed them and waited for the two men to clear the room before his own shoulders sagged.

He wanted nothing more than to send them to Afghanistan, but until he got the order from the top, his hands were tied. He sighed and then reached for the SAT phone. It was time to catch their mole.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Afghanistan: Kabul Province**

**Local hospital: Clay’s room**

**1 Week after HVT pick up**

Doc closed the door to Clay’s room behind him and shook his head as both Scott and Derek looked at him. He saw the worry in their eyes and knew they could see it in his.

“We have to do something, Doc.” Derek moved away from the wall.

“If you have any suggestion, I’m willing to listen, Derek,” Doc replied.

“Get Bravo team here, Doc. I know they’re still in Pakistan.” Derek dragged his hand across his face. He was tired to the bone.

“I tried. They’re under orders.” Doc wanted to scream out of frustration. Clay needed his brothers.

“Can I try?” Derek asked.

Doc and Scott both frowned.

“Getting Bravo here?” Doc shook his head. “That’s not going to work.”

“No, sorry.” Derek shrugged. “I mean, can I try to talk to Clay?”

Doc glanced at Scott and then at Derek. “He did indicate that he didn’t want to see anyone. I don’t want him to get agitated.”

“I know that, Doc, but he’s working himself up in any case. Please, let me talk to him,” Derek pleaded.

They’d last seen Clay two days ago when he had finally woken up and was coherent enough to understand that he was in hospital. However, he’d had no idea where he was. He’d spoken English, but it was as if he struggled with the words. They’d called for Doc and waited outside Clay’s room when they first heard Clay’s panicked scream for Doc to get out of his room.

It had spurred them on to enter Clay’s room and he’d taken one look at them and tried to get out of his bed and flee the room. It had taken all three of them to keep him in bed and he had only calmed down when Doc told him that they would all leave if he stayed put. Neither of them wanted to leave the distraught SEAL alone, but did as what Doc requested.

Doc had given Clay an hour before he went back in, and even then, Clay nearly went ballistic. Doc stayed put. Later, when Clay had calmed down, Doc answered all of his questions. It was after that Clay had refused to see anyone on Alpha team. He only allowed Doc in his room, and that was more out of necessity than anything else. He still didn’t allow any women in the room. They had found that out when Doc called for Nurse Laila, and Clay panicked when she entered. Doc had managed to calm him down, but only after the nurse left.

Doc leaned against the wall. He was beyond tired and even more concerned. “Okay. But, please, if you see he’s going to try and get out of that bed to flee his room, or having a panic attack, then get out.”

“I will.” Derek removed his sidearm and handed it to Scott. “The only easy day, was yesterday, right?” He said it with a grin as his team lead punched him on the arm.

“Derek.”

“Doc?” Derek turned back.

“Get him to drink some water, please.”

Derek frowned. “Still not eating?”

Doc shook his head. “No. He does drink water, but not nearly enough. I don’t want to add another IV, but if he continues like this, he’s leaving me with no choice.”

“I’ll get him to drink some water.” He caught the two bottles of water Scott lobbed at him before he opened the door and entered Clay’s room.

Clay was propped up so that he didn’t lay flat on his back while his legs were elevated. His eyes were closed when Derek stepped closer to the bed. By his breathing, Derek knew Clay wasn’t asleep.

“Clay?”

The man in the bed ignored him and Derek took it as a good sign. He pulled the ever-present recliner closer and sat down. He made sure Clay would be able to see him when he opened his eyes. Derek smiled to himself when he saw the book Jason had sent on the priority flight. It was _Lord of the Rings._ He could see how much Clay loved the book. It was filled with sticky notes. Passages were underlined and even more notes were scribbled in the margins. The book opened up, and a note in the margin caught his eye.

“Only Frodo and Sméagol knew how hard that burden truly was,” he read the note out loud. He had no idea why Clay had written it down, and he read the passage out loud where it was highlighted.

_" ‘For another, I think he is allured here by a mastering desire, stronger than his caution.’_

_‘He is lured here, you say?’ said Faramir in low voice. ‘Can he, does he then know of your burden?’_

_‘Indeed yes. He bore it himself for many years.’_

_‘ He bore it?’ said Faramir, breathing sharply in his wonder. ‘This matter winds itself ever in new riddles. Then he is pursuing it?’_

_‘Maybe. It is precious to him. But I did not speak of that.’ " **1**_

Derek lowered the book. He’d read the rest of the page and remembered the scene in the movie. It was after Boromir’s death and Frodo and Sam met up with Boromir’s younger brother Faramir. There was one or other sacred pool where the _Gollum_ had caught a fish. He thought. He wasn’t entirely sure.

“In the end, Samwise was the one whom I cheered for the most.” Derek placed the thick book on the bed. “I mean, he was with Frodo from the beginning. He would’ve taken that ring from Frodo at any time. Sam would’ve made an awesome SEAL.”

Derek cleared his throat. “Clay. I remember the day you disappeared like it was yesterday. We all do.” Derek inspected his hands. “Eric sent us after Jason and Bravo team, and we found Miss Ellis. It was the beginning of our hell. We searched for you everywhere. Never before in my life, have I kicked down so many doors, turned over so many tables in an attempt to find you. We all did. We never gave up. You were missing for more than a month when we were recalled home.” Derek closed his eyes. “It was one of the darkest days in my life as a SEAL. But it didn’t mean that when we got Stateside, we forgot about you. Miss Ellis and Davis gathered intel from everywhere. Bravo team ran different rescue scenarios each day, sometimes twice a day, and at least once every night. They made sure that they’d be prepared for any possible scenario that might come up when we found you, and that they could bring you home.”

“I’m still not sure how she did it, but it was Miss Ellis, who found the missing link that enabled us to go and rescue you. It was your brothers who carried you out on a stretcher and who carried you into the ER of this hospital. They did not leave your side. Even when you had a British ass for a doctor, did they not leave. The only reason they are not here now, is because the Brass called them back. Between myself and Scott, we’ve been keeping them up to date with your progress every day. I know for a fact that they want to be here. I know Sonny threatened to go AWOL, but Jason talked him out of it. Because, if Sonny was in the brig and you came home, he wouldn’t be there for you. Sonny would do many things. Not being there for you when you get home, isn’t one of those things.”

“I don’t know what happened to you in those six months. I’ve seen the injuries on your body and I know that the mental scars must be as horrendous. We are here for you, brother. Bravo team is there for you. We will not forsake you. You are _our_ brother. Don’t shut us out. Let us help you. Remember, Clay. Remember our creed. _‘If I get knocked down, I will get back up, every time.’_ We will help you up, we will get you back on your feet – every time.”

Derek glanced up and found Clay’s eyes on him. They were filled with tears and Derek jumped to his feet. He slowly stepped up to the bed and placed his arm across Clay’s shoulder and pulled him to his chest. When the sobs shook Clay’s too thin frame, Derek held him even closer. He would not let him go until Clay was ready to let go himself.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Pakistan**

**Camp Badaber: Bravo team barracks**

“Tell me again what the hell we’re doing here instead of being with the kid?” Sonny threw the toothpick he’d chewed onto the floor, and rose to his feet.

“We’re awaiting orders,” Brock answered from where he was on the top bunk with Cerberus lying across his chest. Their pup was fast asleep.

“And what fucking order is that?” Sonny paced the small room.

Brock ignored the question and sighed. He reached out and scratched Cerb’s ears. The pup groaned and snuggled closer. The simple action made Brock smile. It also made him think about their youngest. He groaned. He didn’t want to think about Clay, because thinking about Clay meant he realized they were not with Clay. Clay needed them. Hell, they needed Clay. An idea formed in his head and he pushed himself up onto his elbows. He spotted Davis where she sat against the wall. “Davis,” he called out. “How many leave days do I have?”

Davis frowned. “What?” she sounded confused.

Brock grinned. It wasn’t every day that someone got a response from Davis that was non-specific like the one he got.

“How many leave days do I have?” he repeated the question. He glanced to the left and saw Trent staring at him. By the glint in his brother’s eyes, he knew Trent had figured out what he was up to.

“I’ll have to check.”

“Check mine as well, please.” Trent grinned at Brock.

“Wait. What the fuck?” Sonny frowned. “What the hell are the two of you smoking? The kid is all alone in Afghanistan, we’re stuck here in Pakistan and you’re worried about how many fucking leave days you have.”

Brock laughed. “Check Sonny’s as well.”

Lisa got to her feet. She had a grin on her face. When Sonny looked at her, still frowning, she punched him in the arm. “You’re not deployed, Sonny.”

“Yeah, I know that.”

“You’re also no longer on a mission, since you brought in your HVT,” she explained patiently.

“Yeah, I know that too.”

Lisa sighed. “So?” She used her hands in a rolling motion for him to think.

Sonny frowned and then it was as if a light bulb got switched on. “And if we’re not on a mission and we’re not deployed, we can take leave days due to us.” He grinned from ear to ear. Sonny grabbed Lisa and hugged her to his chest. “Go and find out for us, Miss Davis. We are all in need of some leave days. I hear Afghanistan is a nice place to visit this time of the year.”

All three were still grinning when the barracks door opened and Jason entered with Ray short on his heels.

“What’s so funny?” Jason asked with a frown. He was a bit out of breath as he and Ray had returned from a late afternoon run. He reached for a bottle of water on the small desk.

“We’re finding out how many leave days are owed to us, and then we’re going to take a short vacation,” Sonny replied with a grin. He wiggled his hips as he reached for the Texas flag and draped it over his shoulders like a cape.

Ray frowned while Jason cocked his head. “All three of you?”

“Yep, all three of us.” Sonny placed his cowboy hat on his head and swaggered around the room.

Jason eyed Brock and Trent, and then settled his gaze on Ray. “You thinking what I’m thinking?” he asked his second in command.

Ray grinned. “We are all owed leave, brother.” They fist bumped when the door opened and Lisa appeared in the door.

“You are all here.” She smiled. She handed each of them a sheet of paper, including Jason and Ray.

“How did you know?” Ray asked and then bowed his head. “Sorry, Davis. Forgot who I’m talking to.” He took the paper with a grin and studied the numbers. It was a lot more of days than what he’d thought it would be. But that’s the life they lived. Taking a week or two wasn’t something they ever got to do.

“We’re doing this?” Jason looked up from his own paper.

He received four unequivocal answers from his brothers, “Yes.”

“Great.” He got to his feet. “Fill in your requests and bring them to me.”

Davis held out another set of papers for all of them. “Two weeks enough?” She laughed as Sonny picked her up for the second time, and nearly squeezed the air out of her lungs.

“You’re an angel, Davis.” Sonny hugged her again and put her down on the floor. He grabbed the pen she held out to him and signed the form. Then, he passed the pen to Brock and the request form to Jason. Within minutes, Jason had five forms in his hand, and Davis had her pen back.

“Want me to go with you?” Ray asked, as he slumped down on the empty bottom bunk.

Jason shook his head. “Don’t think Eric will be able to deal with both of us again so soon, Ray. I’ve got this.”

He smiled at Davis. “Thank you.”

“Any time, Jason.”

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

“Enter.” Eric stood up from his low bed at the knock on his door and moved across to his desk. When he turned, he was surprised to see it was Jason. Since they’d spoken the day before, he’d not seen any member of Bravo team.

“Jason.” Eric moved away from the desk. Since it was Jason, he didn’t need to stand or sit behind his desk. He indicated for Jason to take the visitor’s chair, and took a seat on the bed himself.

“Eric,” Jason returned the greeting, and held out the papers he had in his hand.

Eric frowned. “At least I know you can’t resign.” He smiled nervously as he took the papers. He inspected the first one, flipped to the second one, and then smiled. “Who thought of this?”

Jason shrugged. “Not entirely sure, but does it matter?”

Eric shook his head. “Not at all.” He took the papers and placed them on his desk. “I’ll have to clear it with Harrington, but I don’t see a problem.”

It was Jason’s turn to frown, and Eric grinned. “I thought the Captain didn’t want us in Afghanistan?”

“The Brass doesn’t want you in Afghanistan. Harrington and myself have been trying to get you there for the past three days.”

“When can we go?” Jason stood up from the chair.

“Give me eight hours.” Eric held up his hand when Jason wanted to object. “It’s midnight in the States, Jason. Let’s give Harrington a few hours of peace before we send you off on your vacation, and bring the rest of Brass down on our necks when they realize where you all went to.”

“They are going to shit themselves.” Jason couldn’t help grinning.

“And they’re going to come down hard on Harrington.”

“And on you.”

Eric shrugged. “Most likely. But, luckily, I’m stuck over here, so that’s not too bad.”

“Any news on our mole and on that son-of-a-bitch?”

“Nothing new. Harrington doesn’t trust communications at the moment. He told me that he’d let me know when he could.”

“You’ll keep us up to date?” Jason reached for the door.

“I will.” Eric stretched out on his bed. “Keep your team in line, Jason, and keep Spenser safe.”

“Roger, Commander,” Jason replied with a smile, and exited the room.

Eric closed his eyes. He had a feeling he was going to need all the sleep he could get, because if they trapped their mole, things could become fluid, and then they’d have to move fast.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Afghanistan: Kabul Province**

**Local hospital: Clay’s room**

**Following afternoon**

Doc looked up highly irritated when the door to his office opened up without the person even knocking. He hated rude people. He was about to tear into whoever it was when he realized who stood in front of him.

“About fucking time.” He got to his feet with a grin on his face. “I thought you’d never get here.”

“Sorry, Doc. We didn’t mean to take so long,” Jason greeted their team doctor with a firm handshake, which changed into a hug. The rest of Bravo team filed into the small office behind him. Sonny was the last to enter and he closed the door behind him.

“How’s our boy doing, Doc?” Sonny asked, even before everyone could get a place to sit, stand, or lean against something.

“Good to see you too, Sonny. Hope you had a good flight,” Doc responded with a frown. He was still cranky, and didn’t need anyone, not even Bravo team, to be on his case.

Sonny got a fist on the arm from Ray.

“Sorry,” Sonny apologized.

Doc held up his hand. “I understand. I’m cranky as hell, and I’m taking it out on you.” He dragged his hand through his hair. For the first time he noted, they were all dressed in civvies. “You on holiday?”

“Yep,” all five men answered as one.

Doc smiled and then frowned. “If you weren’t on vacation would you be here?” Sonny’s growl of no, gave him his answer. “Understood.”

“Not to sound impatient, Doc, but we need to know how he is,” Jason spoke up.

Doc could’ve asked if Alpha team didn’t keep them in the loop, but he understood what they were asking. With a sigh he took his seat, pulled a file closer, and handed it over to Trent. “If you can believe that’s it’s been a month since you’ve rescued him, then you can understand what I tell you and put it in perspective.”

Trent glanced up from the file he’d been studying and shared a look with Brock. They mentally counted. Doc was right. It had been only a month since they’d rescued Clay. It felt like a lifetime ago.

“Are you telling us it’s bad?” Sonny moved closer to Doc’s desk.

Doc sighed. “No, Sonny, I’m merely telling you the period of time that passed should be taken into account.

“Okay.” Sonny stepped back and blocked the door with his frame.

Doc nodded. Before he could start, Jason interrupted him.

“You weren’t certain he’d survive.”

He opened his mouth, but got interrupted again.

“He’s not eating, why isn’t he eating?” Trent tapped his finger on the file.

“What do you mean he’s not eating? That’s not good, Doc.” Sonny moved closer to the desk again.

The rest of the team started talking as well.

“ENOUGH!” Doc shouted, and his shoulders sagged as the team all quieted down. He grabbed the file from Trent, and placed it before him. “You’ll get it later.” He pointed at the medic with a finger. He then glared at Jason and Sonny. “The two of you, keep quiet.” He glared at them until they nodded in agreement.

“Good.” For a second, he closed his eyes. When he opened them up, he stared at his hands, and then he started to talk. “I’m still calling it a miracle. I didn’t think he would make it after his organs started failing. But Clay, once again showed me, us, why he is a SEAL. He doesn’t know how to give up. His fever broke and his kidneys started to work and from there he got better, although he still had a rough time going through the withdrawal symptoms.”

“Is he clean?”

Doc looked up and he nodded at Ray’s question. “We’re going to have to be very careful in the future on how we manage his pain, but yes, he’s got no opioids in his system. He’s over the worst of the withdrawal symptoms as well. We’re still monitoring his kidney output, but he’s improving on a daily basis.”

When no other question got asked, Doc continued. “He came out of his coma a bit rough, but that was to be expected, especially since he wasn’t really coherent in the time between when we rescued him and he went into the coma. We had some trouble keeping him calm. I didn’t want to sedate him, but it was necessary in a couple of instances.” Doc stared at Bravo team.

He continued to tell them of Clay’s struggles, including: his night terrors, and the fact that he’d refused to talk at first. He was talking now, although he kept his sentences short, and his answers consisted mainly of yes or no. “He doesn’t like women near him. Not even Nurse Laila. He doesn’t trust anyone outside Alpha team or myself. He’s uncomfortable with male nurses, so I’ve got Derek doing his blood work when needed.”

Jason frowned at the last information. When Clay had woken up after the rescue, he hadn’t seemed to have any problem with her. In fact, it was as if she had kept him calm when he’d started to get restless. “Do we know why?”

“No, not at all. He doesn’t want to explain it, and although it’s bothersome, I’m not going to press him for an answer, not now.” Doc peered down at the close file.

“His injuries are healing well, including the scars on his back. If they continue to heal like that, I don’t think he’ll need skin grafts. We’ll coordinate with a physical therapist to see whatever exercises he does, keeps the muscles in his back supple so that it doesn’t cause him any loss of range of movement. He’s scheduled for x-rays on his legs and feet tomorrow to see if we need to continue with the hard casts, or if we can change it to something lighter. Maybe even a moonboot for his left foot.”

Jason picked his words carefully. “Is he aware of all of his injuries?”

“Yes. I explained everything to Clay about a week ago.” Doc couldn’t say anything else. Clay had stopped him when he tried to talk to him about the sexual injuries. He knew if it wasn’t for the fact that he had to check on the tears even a month after Clay’s rescue that Clay would’ve ignored that totally. It was something that Clay would have to acknowledge and talk to someone. The thing is, he had no idea how they were going to do that. Clay nearly hyperventilated each day when he checked him out. The kid was beyond traumatized and it was understandable.

Jason nodded at the response. Doc didn’t need to say it out loud, but he had a feeling Clay wouldn’t let Doc discuss it with either him or Trent. He knew for a fact, that Clay wouldn’t discuss it with them. He hoped Trent would get the kid open up about it. It was going to eat Clay up alive if he didn’t.

“Why isn’t he eating?” Trent had stayed quiet long enough.

Doc sighed. “He is eating, Trent, just not properly. And not regularly.”

“He’s not eating.” The whole team spoke up.

Doc held up his hand. “Okay, yes. But, it’s better than a week ago. Now he’s eating at breakfast, and at dinner time.”

Trent shook his head. He knew the kid, they all did. “What? A piece of toast in the morning and in the evening a few vegetables?” He shook his head. “That’s not eating, Doc. Chocolate protein shakes. He loves them.” He named the brand. “He takes a day to drink one, but he finishes it. And he puts on weight with them.”

Doc made a note. He’d forgotten about them. He would get it ordered right away. He only hoped that he’d be able to get it here. “Is Davis with you?”

Jason shook his head. “You need her for the protein shakes?”

Doc grinned.

“I’ll let her know.”

“Thank you.” Doc glanced at the team again. “When he finally woke up and realized where he was, he didn’t want to see anyone. Not even Alpha team. He’s still struggling to see them, but he’s getting there.”

“Are you saying there might be a possibility that he doesn’t want to see us?” Sonny once again stepped away from the door.

“Yes. Don’t get me wrong. I’m beyond ecstatic for you to be here, and I can promise you, Alpha team will be as well, but if Clay indicates to me that he doesn’t want to see you, then I’m going to have to honor his wishes.”

Sonny growled, “he will see us.”

“You seem awful sure of yourself.”

Sonny’s growl turned into a smile. “We’ve got a secret weapon.”

Doc frowned, and then looked around. “Where’s Cerberus?” He didn’t know why he bothered to ask the question. He had a good idea of where the seventh member of Bravo team was.

“Couldn’t keep him on the leash when we got here. The moment he got Clay’s scent he nearly went ballistic,” Brock explained.

“You let Cerberus loose.”

Brock shrugged. “I did. Either someone on Alpha team would open the door for him, or he’d do it himself.” Brock grinned. “So, yes, Doc, he will see us. Our pup is with him, and we want to see them both.”

Doc remained quiet. He wasn’t so sure of it. But there was only one way to find out. He got to his feet. “Let’s go, gentleman. Let’s go and see if Clay wants to see your ugly faces.”

Sonny growled again. Jason and Trent shared a look. Brock and Ray appeared worried. But they all hoped for one thing, that their little brother wanted to see them. They needed to see him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. The Two Towers: Book 4 - Chapter 6 The forbidden pool.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**Local hospital: Clay’s room**

Derek reached for his sidearm when Clay’s door opened. He frowned when no one walked in but then a dog scrambled in, gave one leap and landed right next to Clay on the bed. Derek grinned. It seemed like Bravo team finally arrived. He cringed when Clay jerked awake, and for a moment, he thought his young brother would panic, but then Clay’s eyes focused and he visibly relaxed on the bed. He even pulled Cerb closer to his side and pushed his head into the dog’s soft fur. When the first sob reached his ears, Derek stood up and silently left the room.

He leaned against the wall for at least half an hour before Bravo team, with Doc at the front, rounded the corner. They were all clothed in civvies, but their sidearms were clearly visible. He frowned at the sight, but didn’t ask any question. Instead, when they draw closer, he hugged each one of them. Derek accepted the slaps of gratitude on the back as they all gathered around Clay’s room.

“He doing all right?” Jason asked as he stared at the closed door.

“He was asleep when Cerb came in. But the moment he realized who it was he became very emotional. I stepped out,” Derek responded.

“You’re not answering my question, Derek.”

Derek sighed and then shook his head. “Nightmares, night terrors, insomnia. It’s all plaguing him. He’s restless, scared, confused, and downright miserable. He hasn’t said a word, but he missed you guys. He needed you to be here for him. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

“We would’ve been,” Sonny growled.

“I know, Sonny.” Derek shook his head. “I didn’t mean to accuse you of anything, but yeah, he needs his family.”

“We’re here now and that’s all that matters.” Jason slapped Derek on the shoulder. “Thank you again.”

“Any time, brother.” Derek nodded at Doc. He knew Bravo team would want to spend some time alone with the kid, and hoped that Clay would allow them to do that.

He exchanged another round of fist bumps and back slaps with the team before he headed out.

He would inform Full Metal that Bravo team had arrived. They’d speculate on why Bravo Team was in civilian clothes, and maybe tonight they’d all get together to drink a beer or two. He had a feeling that by the end of the week, Jason would begin to ask when they could take Clay home. He’d bet at least fifty on that.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

Doc grinned when he watched the team of SEALs who stood before him. He’d never seen them nervous before, but right in this instance, he could see that every last one of them was.

“I imagine Clay feels exactly the same as all of you, even more so.” Doc opened the door.

“Take it easy with him. I’ll be in my office should you need me.” He didn’t enter the room. This was one reunion the team had to do on their own.

Jason nodded, and stepped into the room first. Ray followed on his heels, Brock on his, and Trent on his. Sonny was the last one.

Clay faced away from them. He was lying on his side, his hand curled around Cerberus’ fur. By the deep sounds that emanated from the bed, they were sure he was asleep. Cerb, on the other hand, was not. He’d lifted his head and stared at each one of them as they entered the room.

“He looks pissed off,” Sonny broke the silence. “Why does he look pissed off? We didn’t do anything wrong, did we?”

Brock snorted. He knew Cerberus, and he knew why their pup looked like that. They’d left Clay behind. They’d left one of their pack behind, and that didn’t sit well with Cerberus. Yes, they were all in the doghouse, including him. He also knew Sonny expected an answer. “We left our pack mate behind.” He tried not to roll his eyes when Cerb snorted at him. Yep, their pup was pissed.

“Pack mate?” Sonny sounded confused, but then he nodded. “Yeah, yeah we did.”

He circled around all of them and came to a halt at Clay’s bed. He got his first proper look at their youngest brother. Clay looked like shit and he would make a point to tell him that. But first, they needed him to wake up. He reached for Clay’s hand, but withdrew it quickly when Cerberus growled at him. “What the fuck?”

Brock snickered. “He’s pissed. You said so yourself, Sonny.”

Sonny looked at Brock, looked at Clay, and then at Cerberus. “Seriously?” He shook his head, shrugged his shoulders. “Okay, I’m sorry. We’re sorry. We fucked up. You satisfied? That’s what you wanted to hear?”

Cerberus snorted, and lowered his head on Clay’s leg, and closed his eyes. It was a start.

Sonny cocked his head. “That’s it? Seriously? And then there are some days why I wonder why we love you?” He was teasing the dog, and laughed when Cerberus opened one eye, looked at him for a second, and then closed it again. He got the message. He understood the message. He had to proceed with caution. They all had to proceed with caution.

Jason shook his head, and walked around the bed so that he’d be in Clay’s line of sight when their brother woke up. He gently placed his hand on Clay’s shoulder and squeezed.

It had no effect. The young man stayed asleep.

Jason frowned. “I thought he didn’t sleep?”

Trent nodded. That’s what Derek had told them mere minutes ago.

“We’re here,” Ray spoke up, next to Jason.

Jason frowned at his best friend. “I don’t follow.”

Ray sighed. “We’re here.” He indicated to all of them as if his actions would make it easier to understand.

“Sorry, no. Try again.”

Brock smiled. He understood what Ray meant. “Clay’s sleeping because he knows we’re here. He’s finally standing down.”

“Oh. Then why didn’t you say that, Ray? Why is it necessary to speak in tongues?”

“I didn’t speak in tongues, Jase. I spoke plain English. You heard me,” Ray bickered back.

Sonny looked between his two friends, took the recliner that stood right behind Jason, and lowered himself into it. “You ladies done?” he drawled out as he placed a new toothpick in his mouth.

Brock laughed, and Trent coughed. Jason and Ray looked like they wanted to kill Sonny. He continued to stare at them.

“Did you steal my chair?” Jason asked, as he glared at Sonny.

Sonny shrugged. “There’s a saying about two dogs fighting over a bone and the third one getting it?”

Ray covered his eyes. “You do realize, Sonny, that we didn’t argue or fought about the chair.”

“You snooze, you lose?” Sonny grinned, and ducked when Jason’s hand snaked out and hit him on the side of the head. They all laughed. It was as if being in the same room as Clay lifted their spirits. Now their little brother only had to wake up.

Clay drifted between asleep and awake when he heard _their_ voices. At first, he couldn’t believe his ears, but he could still feel Cerberus’ body next to his and if the dog was real, it meant they were real as well. He opened his eyes and looked on as the men, his brothers, whom he trusted with his life, bantered with one another. Even though he didn’t want them to see him like this, so weak, he couldn’t help but speak up.

“You came,” Clay’s voice sounded up from the bed and all five men, turned their attention to their youngest teammate. With his eyes open, the dark circles underneath his eyes were clearly visible. He was also extremely pale.

“We’d never leave you behind, brother,” Ray replied.

“Mm,” Clay hummed and closed his eyes. “Brian said I must not give up hope. That you would come. You did.” He sighed softly, and then drifted off to sleep again.

“Brian? Brian said we would come?” Sonny’s eyes grew huge. “Just how fucking close to dying was he if he spoke to the Armstrong kid?” His hands trembled and he crossed his arms to hide it from the team.

Ray looked at Jason. “You now believe in guardian angels?”

Jason cocked his head. “He admitted speaking to a dead man and you’re equating that to a guardian angel? How do you get to that? What the fuck, Ray?”

Ray shrugged. Jason could believe what he wanted, but he believed in guardian angels and Clay had at least one. Yes, the kid had been in a terrible condition when they first found him, but he could’ve been dead. Doc had been of the opinion that Clay would’ve died as a result of the opioids in his system, but he pulled through. He spoke to them. He’d recognized them. To Ray that was enough proof. He looked up when he heard Sonny speaking up.

“Wait, wait? Is he sleeping again? What? Why? Did he change into Sleeping Beauty? Do we need to get someone to kiss him awake? Jason? You gonna kiss him?”

Damn it, Sonny, the Kid went through hell, of course he’s gonna sleep a lot. Didn’t you see the circles under his eyes? If he wants to sleep, let him sleep.” Jason pushed himself off the wall and paced the room. He was frustrated as well. He wanted to talk to Clay. Wanted to hear the kid speak more than a few words, but it seemed like they had to be patient. A lot more patient than what he was feeling right now.

“I’m just saying,” Sonny pouted and Jason rolled his eyes.

“I hear you, Sonny. I do. And we’re all feeling exactly the same about it. We need to be patient.” Jason hitched his hip up and sat down on the side of Clay’s bed. He glared at Cerberus as the dog glared at him.

“I’m not disturbing Clay, glare at Sonny. He’s the one making all the noise.” Jason pointed at his teammate and grinned when Cerberus turned his head and stared at Sonny.

“Leave me be. I want the kid to wake up and talk to me, man.” Sonny lifted both his middle fingers at the dog and at Jason.

“Children.” Ray sighed. Sometimes it was scary to think that Jason was their team leader and Sonny third in command.

“He started it.” Both men pointed at one another, and this time, Cerberus got to his feet and growled. It made Sonny and Jason’s eyes grew large.

“I think the two of you need to settle down or step outside,” Trent spoke up. “Cerberus has been warning you now for a while, and I’m not going to stitch either of you up if he takes a bite out of you.”

Jason closed his eyes and nodded. He heard Sonny apologizing, and then they all settled in. His eyes landed on the book next to Clay’s bed. Jason reached for it and smiled. It was the book he’d sent over on a priority flight. He flicked it open and grinned. It was still strange to see how many notes and highlights decorated the pages.

“Did you know that Clay nearly knows that whole thing out of his head?” Ray asked, as he saw Jason paging through the book.

“How do you know that?”

“Derek told me the last time we spoke over the phone.”

“Impressive.” Jason placed the book down. He’d thought they knew their little brother, but there were many things they still needed to figure out. “Do you know where his love for books come from?”

Ray shrugged. “I assume from his maternal grandparents since they raised him.”

Jason shook his head. “I’m not so sure. I can’t see missionaries reading books like this _Lord of the Rings_ , or _A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy_. But I also think he had a lot of time on his hands, and that maybe it was a way in keeping himself busy.”

“You mean in between picking up all those different languages and dialects.”

Jason grinned. “Yes, something like that.”

Clay stirred, and the five men focused their attention on him again. He groaned and his hand travelled to his leg.

“Is he in pain?” Jason asked concerned.

Trent nodded. “I’ll call Doc.” He reached for his phone and stepped away from the bed.

Clay reached for his leg again, and Jason took his hand in his. “Easy, Clay. Don’t think it’s a good idea if you touch that.”

Clay grunted and opened his eyes. For a moment he looked confused and jerked away, then settled back down. “Fuck,” he gasped, and bit down hard on his bottom lip.

“Easy, Clay, breathe through it. You can do it.” Ray grabbed Clay’s other hand, and coached Clay in getting his breathing and hopefully his pain level under control. “Trent went to call Doc. He’ll bring you some relief soon.”

Clay jerked away at the words. “No.” He shook his head. “No drugs.”

“Wow, easy there, Kid.” Jason stopped Clay from falling off the bed. Not one of them had thought Clay would have such a reaction to the mention of pain medication, but then on the other hand, something like that had to be expected.

Clay shook his head. “No drugs. No drugs, please. No drugs.” He became agitated, and Sonny stepped up to help Jason keep Clay in bed.

“Hey, Peter Pan, relax, okay. You don’t want to fall out of bed and hit that head of yours. Just settle down.” Sonny gently pressed Clay back against the pillows. He managed not to growl as he felt Clay’s bones beneath his fingers. The once broad shoulders with well-developed muscles were gone.

“Sonny.” Clay shook his head. “No drugs, please. Don’t want to…” Clay swallowed hard. “Don’t want to.” He shook his head again.

Sonny sighed, pushed Jason away with his hip, and took his stand right in front of Clay. Not caring what anyone else might say, Sonny gently cupped Clay’s face in his hands. “Listen to me, we’ve got you. Doc will not give you anything that will harm you. I promise you. But we also don’t want to see you in pain, let us help, let Doc help you.”

He kept his hands on Clay’s face until the younger man nodded. Sonny grinned.

“That’s good, Kid.”

He stepped to the side when he noticed that Trent had returned with Doc. Both men looked troubled, but Sonny remained quiet. Now was not the time to ask questions, not when he’d got Clay to calm down.

Sonny moved to the side, but kept in Clay’s line of sight when he noticed his young teammate tracked his every move. He looked on as Doc examined Clay with ease, explaining each and every thing he would be doing before he touched Clay. Seeing this made Sonny fume with anger. Clay shouldn’t be scared of touch to the point of nearly passing out. He should feel safe with his team. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on Parwaiz, that man would not survive, but his death would not come easy either.

Finally, Clay settled down again. His breathing evened out, and the pain lines around his mouth became faint.

“Better?” Jason asked, as he once again leaned with his hip against Clay’s bed.

Clay nodded. He swallowed and then smiled as a straw appeared in front of him. He lifted his head and took a sip. The water was ice cold, just the way he liked it, and he took a bigger sip. He wasn’t even aware that he’d closed his eyes until someone chuckled. His eyes snapped open.

“Sorry.” Brock raised his hand. “I’d forgotten how much you love drinking ice water.”

“Only way to drink water.” He lowered himself and closed his eyes again. Whatever Doc had given him dulled the pain to such an extent that he nearly couldn’t feel it anymore. He also felt drowsy. His eyes snapped open and heat flushed his face. “You drugged me,” he hissed out the accusation. He pushed himself up to his elbows. Someone tried to touch his shoulder, and Clay jerked away.

“Don’t touch me.”

The hands disappeared.

“Easy, Clay.” Doc stepped up to the bed. “I only gave you something for the pain, that’s all. Your body is overtaxed and with the pain medication it’s now relaxing. That’s the only reason why you’re feeling sleepy. Nothing else.”

Clay shook his head. “No, no, you’re lying. You drugged me. I told you, no drugs. Why would you do that?”

“Clay.” Doc shook his head. “I promise, I only gave you something for the pain.” He took a quick look at the monitors above Clay’s bed. “You need to calm down.”

“Don’t tell me what to do, I’m not a child,” Clay snapped.

“Spenser!” Jason’s voice echoed through the room.

Clay flinched visibly at the sound, and he shrank back. He raised his hands over his head as if he was trying to protect himself. “ _NA! Loftan!_ ”

“Wow, easy.” Jason closed the gap between them, and gently took Clay’s hands in his and lowered it. “Easy, Clay. I’m not going to hurt you, I promise. No one here is going to hurt you. Just take it easy.” He kept his voice low as if he was talking to a skittish animal. He could feel how Clay’s hands trembled beneath his. He gave them another squeeze.

Clay kept his head lowered. He could feel how hot the points of his ears were. He couldn’t believe what he’d done. His team must be so ashamed of him. He no longer felt drowsy. His heart thumped; he could even hear it in his ears. It made his breathing speed up. He could hear the raspy sound coming from his mouth. He brought his hand up to his chest. It became extra hot in the room. He struggled to breathe.

“Clay, I need you to calm down. I know everything is confusing right now. But you’re not in trouble, everything is all right.” Jason tilted Clay’s head up. “Look at me, Clay. I need you to focus on me. Clay, come on, look at me, Kid.” Jason snapped his fingers in front of Clay’s face. “Clay, Clay. Look at me.” He smiled when Clay’s eyes finally focused on him. “That’s it, focus on me, Clay. Take some deep breaths. Follow my lead. You’re doing so well. Take another breath. Hold it in. Just like you and Ray do before you take that shot. Deep and slow, Clay. Deep and slow.”

Clay focused only on Jason. He could feel the tremble in his hands ease up. The thumping of his heart had settled down. He could no longer hear his own raspy breath. Suddenly, he slumped forward. He was bone tired. “Sleepy.” He had no idea if he said the word out loud, but gentle hands eased him back, and he sighed with content as his head rested on the pillow. He didn’t even realize that he’d closed his eyes, but drifted off to sleep.

Jason moved from the bed, pulled the blanket over Clay’s body, and then straightened out. “Doc?” He could see the worry etched on everyone’s faces.

“PTSD,” Doc stated. “Clay’s been plagued by mood swings, hypervigilance, extreme fatigue.” He looked at the men surrounding the bed. “Unfortunately, it’s manifesting more and more since he’s awake for longer periods. But, with you here, things will get better.”

“Different triggers?” Sonny spoke up, but he didn’t meet Doc’s eyes. Instead he kept his gaze on his little brother now fast asleep.

“Yes. And we can add another one to the list.”

“No raised or agitated voices.” Jason looked at his men.

Before he could speak further, Ray spoke up. “Don’t even think of saying it’s your fault. None of us knew, Jason. Don’t take the blame here. It’s going to be bad enough for him, let’s not attach blame to something that’s out of our hands.”

“What are the others?” Brock snapped his fingers and Cerberus jumped up the bed again. He’d gotten down when Clay was agitated.

“Different smells, more especially spices like cinnamon and cardamom. The sound of a bell ringing.” At the confused looks he got, Doc explained. “The nurses used it on this floor to indicate the end of visiting hours. The intercom system has been out of order for months.”

“They’re still using it?” Sonny was already making plans to go and steal the fucking bell.

Doc shook his head. “No, fortunately not. They now move from room to room.”

“They’re not throwing us out of here.” Sonny crossed his arms.

Doc shook his head. “No, they don’t come here.”

“Women.” Trent looked at Doc.

“Yes, they can be very strange sometimes,” Sonny agreed.

Trent shook his head. “No, Sonny. One of Clay’s triggers are women.” He still looked at Doc. They’d all heard when Doc explained Clay didn’t do well with women in the room, but it was more than their mere presence. They were an active trigger to his PTSD.

“I believe so, yes,” Doc confirmed Trent’s suspicion.

“What? Just what the heck did _they_ do to the Kid!” Sonny growled. “This is fucked up.” He looked at Jason. “I know Hadiah is dead, but, Boss, I swear if I could get hold of her now, I would squeeze the fucking life out of her with my bare hands.”

“Get in line, Sonny.” Jason stood with balled fists. He wanted to slam his fist into the wall, but he knew it wouldn’t help.

“Any other triggers, Doc?”

“None that I am aware of. It’s likely we’ll learn of more as he continues to interact with the world more. But you all know what to look out for if it’s triggered and how to help him.” Doc made a note on Clay’s file and handed it to Trent and then looked at Bravo team.

“You’re going to be in for a tough few days, guys. I can promise you Clay might have seen you here, even spoken to you, but it hasn’t sunk in that you’re _here_. And when he finally realizes that you’re here, with him, he’s either going to try and mislead you by being over optimistic, making jokes, or he’s going to withdraw into himself. My money is on the second possibility. He’s going to start doubting himself. Going to feel unworthy of you. He’s going to try and take the blame that whatever happened to him, on one layer or another that he deserved it. And he may act out. He may see if he can make you angry. To see if he can drive you away. He’s going to be scared.” Doc shook his head. “No, that’s not correct. He _is_ scared.”

“Brock had prepared us for something like this, Doc. We’re ready. We’re not going to give up on him, and we’re not going to let him give up on himself.”

Doc sighed. “You truly are family, Jason.” He smiled. “I said it before, call me if you need me.” He shook hands with all of them, and then exited the room, leaving a tired group of men behind.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Local hospital: Clay’s room**

**Following Morning**

Ray lowered the paperback he was reading and glanced at their sleeping rookie. He smiled. He should stop thinking of Clay as the rookie. Clay had been with them for more than a year, and had on more than one occasion, shown all of them what he was capable of.

The room was empty, except for the two of them. With the team being on _vacation_ , they couldn’t sleep in the barracks so they had to get alternative accommodations. The hotel they ended up at last night was not a good choice, especially since Cerberus killed a rat the size of a house cat in the bathroom. Ray had drawn the short straw, but in this instance, they all wanted the short straw, as he got to stay with Clay while the others went hunting for a better place to stay.

Derek went with them. Apparently, he’d seen something like a house that was available to rent, and he’d gone with them to give directions.

Movement from the bed brought Ray back to the present, and he watched as Clay slowly started to move around. It seemed like Clay was finally starting to wake up. It was after nine, and Ray for one, wasn’t used to seeing Clay sleeping that long. He put it down to the fact that, according to Trent and Sonny who’d had the night watch, the young man had had another difficult night behind him, Clay whimpered and Ray got to his feet. He stepped up to the bed and placed his hand on Clay’s. “Easy, there. You’re safe.” Nightmares were plenty, according to what Derek and Scott told them. Clay shifted again and he whimpered softly. Ray had to lean in to hear what the rookie said. It was in Pashto. He reached for his phone and quickly hit record.

_“Lesson one – the only language allowed is Pashto. For every word of English you speak here, you will get punished”_

_“Lesson two – pets don’t walk.”_

Clay continued to whisper the words, but the more he repeated it, the more agitated he became.

“Easy, Clay, you’re safe.” Ray tried to wake his brother, but it seemed like Clay was stuck in a nightmare. Knowing how he would react to a raised voice, Ray grabbed the large mug with ice water and poured some of it over his hands. He then pressed his wet, cold hands against Clay’s cheeks.

“Come on, Clay, wake up. You’re safe. Come on, brother. I’ve got you. You’re safe here. Wake up.” Ray continued to talk to Clay as the younger man continued to whimper. Ray swallowed hard as a tear ran down Clay’s cheek.

“ _Na, loftan._ ”

“You’re safe, Clay. You’re safe. You need to wake up, Clay. Wake up.” Ray grabbed hold of Clay’s shoulders and squeezed them hard. It was the only thing he could think of without shaking Clay or shouting to wake him up. “Clay.” Ray tried again and finally Clay’s eyes snapped open.

Clay struggled to breathe. He saw Ray’s face, but he continued to hear his Master’s voice. It didn’t fit. He squeezed his eyes shut.

“ _Na. Loftan,_ ” he begged. He wanted this nightmare to end.

A cold and wet hand to his cheek made him open his eyes again. He found himself staring at a pair of brown eyes that he’d known for over a year. Eyes that sparkled with humor. Eyes that were rolled when Jason or Sonny went on a rampage. Eyes that shined with pride when something good was done.

Clay swallowed.

“Ray,” he said the single name and the eyes shined with relief.

“You all right?”

The hands moved away from his face, but the eyes remained focused on him. Clay nodded.

“Great. You want some water?”

Clay looked at the glass that was held out to him. “Loftan.” He closed his eyes. “No, thank you.” He kept his eyes closed, and tried to turn on his side. He hated when he did that. He hated that _it_ was the first language he spoke in whenever he felt uncertain of something.

“Look at me, Clay.” Ray stopped Clay from turning away from him. “Look at me, please.” Ray took a deep breath. “Loftan,” he repeated the Pashto word for please and held his breath. It could go either way.

Clay went rigid at the word, and he held his breath. He had no idea if it was a trap or a test. He had no idea on how to respond.

“Look at me, Clay,” Ray repeated his request. Clay didn’t turn back and Ray pushed on. “I am not mocking you. I am not using Pashto in an attempt to make you feel that you’ve done something wrong. You haven’t done anything wrong, Clay. There is no reason for you to feel ashamed. For six months you’ve been held captive and I can’t imagine that they spoke any English. I don’t even think they would’ve cared that there was a possibility that you didn’t understand the language. So if at this stage, it comes easier for you to respond in Pashto, then so be it. We might not understand everything, but words like please, and no, those we understand.”

“He knew,” Clay whispered the words.

Ray closed his eyes and was grateful that Clay was facing away from him. He had to make sure he understood what Clay had told him. “Parwaiz knew you spoke Pashto?”

Clay nodded.

Ray bowed his head. Clay had confirmed their worst fear. Parwaiz knew about Clay before he took him. There was no chance that Clay had been taken because they saw an opportunity and took it.

“He knew that I spoke Pashto and Dari. He knew I was a SEAL,” Clay’s voice echoed through the room even as he whispered the words.

“Then I am even more grateful that we found you, and that you’re safe.” Ray knew he had to share this information with Jason and Eric. He looked at the water he still held in his hand and remembered why he held the water. “You want some water?”

Clay slowly turned back to face Ray. “Please.”

Ray smiled and held the glass for Clay. When Clay leaned back, Ray placed the glass back and looked at Clay. “That was an intense nightmare you were caught in. Do you want to talk about it?”

Clay lowered his gaze. “I don’t remember.”

Ray nodded. He knew Clay was lying, but he also understood. He took his seat and lifted his feet so that they rested on Clay’s bed. “I love being a SEAL. I can’t for a moment imagine myself doing anything else than what I’m doing right now in my life.”

“You love babysitting my ass?”

Ray laughed. “Funny, Clay. Real funny.” He shook his head. “In any case, as much as I love being a SEAL, I hate it even more.”

Clay tensed up and looked at Ray. “I don’t understand.”

“You do, you don’t want to acknowledge it at this stage. But I will explain to you.” Ray stayed in position but his tone became more serious. “We’re trained to fight and to kill. We’re trained to withstand torture, but also how to torture, or should I say, interrogate someone. We’re trained to survive, to never give up. But we’re also trained how to lie. And unfortunately, it’s that last piece of training that we use the most. We use it at least once a day, if not more, and I’m not talking about being in a hostile environment. I’m talking about our everyday lives.”

“With this lying, we’re also taught another skill, one of deflection. You see, deflection and lying in most instances, goes hand in hand. And with that, we’re taught how to run circles around people like psychologists and psychiatrists. We’re taught exactly what to say in certain situations so that we can be deployed on our next mission. We are not to be seen as being weak. Not to our brothers, not to our commanding officers, not to the brass, but more importantly _never_ to ourselves.”

Ray stilled for a second before he continued. “We will never be weak, except that by our own actions, and by those actions placed on us via our jobs, we make ourselves weak. And I don’t mean physically, but definitely mentally. And because we don’t talk to those people who can help us, we bottle it up, and then we explode.” Ray removed his feet from the bed and leaned forward. “I don’t want you to explode, Clay. There’s another option, a much simpler one. Talk to us, talk to your brothers. We’ll all listen, we’ll all do our best to help. In most instances we can relate to how you feel, as we went through something similar and in those instances where we can’t, we’ll still listen.”

Clay remained quiet. What Ray shared with him was the truth. None of them talked to psychologists. One, most of them didn’t have the required clearance to hear the shit they dealt with on a daily basis, and two, they indeed knew how to spin a story so that in the end it didn’t matter how mentally unstable they were, they would be cleared for duty. They pulled the wool over the doctor’s eyes and got away with it.

He shifted on the bed. His back ached, but he ignored it. He looked up, and found Ray’s eyes on him.

“After I tried to escape the first time, and I got the shit beaten out of me, Mast…” Clay shook his head. “Parwaiz had two lessons to _teach_ me.” Clay looked down at his hands. When he spoke up again, his tone of voice was completely flat. “Lesson one. The only language allowed is Pashto. For every word of English spoken, punishment will be handed out.” He dragged his hands over his face. He laughed nervously.

“It was the same punishment handed out as in lesson two. Pets don’t walk.” He had a sneer on his face. “I never thought I would ever feel how it felt to be beaten with an Ashwood baseball bat.” He swallowed. “Or with a single tailed whip for that matter.” His hand traveled to his side. Clay slowly started to rock himself back and forth. “I am Petty Officer First Class Clay Spenser. Service number 228-98-1813. Date of birth October 14, 1990,” he repeated the litany of words again.

Ray moved from his chair and gently gripped Clay’s forearms. “Come back to me, Clay. You’re not there. You’re safe. You’re in hospital, and although you’re a bit banged up, you’re going to be okay. You’re safe. You don’t need to go there, come back, Clay. Listen to my voice, Clay. You’re safe.” Ray had to repeat his own words again, before Clay’s breath hitched. His little brother blinked and frowned. Ray came to his feet. “You all right?”

Clay nodded at first, then shook his head.

Ray smiled. “Yes, you’re not quite all right, but you’ll get there.” He knew now was not the time to take what Clay told him further. At least now he knew one of Clay’s nightmares. Hopefully he’d be able to help Clay if it happened again. He picked up Clay’s book from the foot of the bed and opened it up. He smiled sadly when he saw where they were, but it also didn’t stop him from reading it out loud.

“ _The Balrog reached the bridge. Gandalf stood in the middle of the span, leaning on the staff in his left hand, but in the other hand Glamdring gleamed, cold and white. His enemy halted again, facing him, and the shadow about it reached out like two vast wings. It raised the whip, and the thongs whined and cracked. Fire came from its nostrils. But Gandalf stood firm._ ” **1**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. The Fellowship of the Ring: Book 1 - Chapter 5 The bridge at Khazad Dûm


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**Afghanistan: Kabul Province**

**4 Days later**

Jason kept his gaze locked on the wall on the other side of the room. He refused to look Trent in the eye even as the man cleaned his busted knuckles. “You can stop glaring at me.”

“And you can stop being a fool, but since that’s not going to happen, I don’t have to stop glaring at you,” Trent sniped back as he used a strip of tape to keep the bandage in place. He stepped away from his team leader and busied himself in cleaning up.

“Trent.” Jason sighed.

“No.” Trent shook his head. “Just no. I’m in no mood to listen to anything you’ve got to say, Boss. We’ve been over this, but you’re not listening to me. Until then, sorry, we’re not talking.” He pushed the last of the stuff he used back in the large medical bag and stomped off.

Jason’s shoulders slumped. He understood Trent’s anger was directed at him. He knew Ray felt exactly the same. It was so fucking frustrating. He wanted to do more. His phone rang in his jeans’ pocket, and he struggled to get it out. Jason frowned when he saw the name on the screen.

“Captain.”

_“Master Chief.”_

“What can I do for you, Sir?”

_“You can drop the attitude, Hayes.”_

Jason sighed. Apparently, his attitude could even be _heard_ over the phone. “Yes, Sir.”

_“I had an interesting conversation with Blackburn. My Lieutenant-Commander is of the opinion that I’m not handling things correctly, and that even though he hated to say it, I had to listen to you.”_

A grin appeared on Jason’s face. It seemed that at least one of his _temper tantrums_ as Ray called them, had payed off. “Sir.”

_“Stop calling me, sir, Jason, you make me feel like a cake eater. You know I’m anything but that.”_

Jason laughed. “Understood.”

_“What did you want to do, Jason?”_

“We need to go back to Parwaiz’s house in Pakistan. Maybe even the compound in the Tribal area where we rescued Clay. There must be something that can link that son of a bitch to all of this. Something that would be big enough for him to throw caution to the wind and expose himself.” Jason didn’t add that he had already discussed this with Blackburn. He had a feeling Eric would’ve told Captain Harrington about his demand. Hopefully, Harrington would agree to his request.

_“Do you think it’s still possible? Especially after the FUBAR incident this morning?”_

“I do. Our mole might be in the wind, but now we know who it is; she won’t stay hidden for too long. She’s not clever enough. Let NCIS find her, and pick her up. We need to concentrate on _him_.” Jason couldn’t hide the hate he felt for the son of a bitch out of his voice.

He still couldn’t believe that it was a third-class petty officer, who had started working at the base around the same time that Clay joined Bravo team, who ended up being the mole. Apparently, she met the son of a bitch at a book reading and fell head-over-heels in love with the man. She had decided that the nonsense he spoke, was the truth, and therefore she’d had no problem in not only spying on them, or, more accurately on Clay, but also had no qualms arranging for Clay to be sold out. They knew all of this through the various diaries they’d found in her apartment.

Jason suppressed a snort. If she only knew. That bastard would sell her out in a second if it meant he could save his own skin.

_“Blackburn says you’re still of the opinion he played both sides.”_

Jason growled. “It’s the only thing that makes sense. What’s the possibility that there are two fuck-nuts out there who wanted a SEAL to be screwed over?”

_“I have to agree with you. How quickly can you get back and into that house?”_

Jason grinned from ear to ear. “Twenty-four hours.”

_“Good, you’ve got a green light. Keep me up to date.”_

“Roger, Sir.”

_“Jason?”_

“Captain?”

_“How’s Spenser doing?”_

Jason sighed. “He’s getting there. But it’s going slowly.”

_“The Brass is getting angsty on this side to talk to him, but your team doctor is holding them off. You do realize that you won’t be able to protect him forever? He’ll have to be debriefed. He’ll have to appear in front of them and face them.”_

“I know. We all know, but we’re not gonna let anyone near him until he’s ready. And I will fight for him until then, and even after that.”

_“I know that, Jason. Answer me this. Does he know? Does Spenser know who’s behind this?”_

“No. No, Sir, he does not. And I tend to keep it that way for as long as possible.”

_“I can think of a few people who would not agree with you on that, Master Chief.”_

“Yes, Sir. Including my team. Clay doesn’t need to deal with that shit now. I want him to get better. I want him to get back on his own two feet before I tell him. But it’s also more than that. I want definite proof before I tell him. Because, it’s going to break him, and although we will be there to pick him up, I don’t want him to wonder if we’ve made a mistake.”

_“But you also still think that there’s a possibility that he might come and deal with Clay himself?”_

“I do, but he won’t succeed.”

_“Be careful, Master Chief. I don’t like to admit it, but he was one of the best.”_

“He’s got nothing on us, Captain. He might have been one of the best then. We are the best now. He won’t get past us. Not alive in any case.”

_“Hooyah.”_

The call ended and Jason placed the phone back in his pocket. He turned and grinned when he found Ray at this back.

“We spinning up?”

“Yes.” Jason opened and closed his bandaged hand. Now that they were going on a mission, he regretted the fact that he slammed his fist into the wall. At that time, it’d felt great.

“What about Clay?” Ray leaned with his shoulder against the wall.

“Leaving Sonny and Trent here with him.”

“Add Cerberus to that list as well.” Ray pushed away from the wall. “I still don’t think it’s a good thing to keep him in the dark, Jase. He’s got the right to know.”

Jason nodded. “I know, and it’s killing me to keep it from him, but it’s for the best.”

It was Ray’s turn to nod. “Want me to call the guys in?”

“Yes. And get Alpha team together as well. I want half of them with us. The other half is remaining here on duty. We’ll meet at the base in three hours.”

“Roger that, Boss.”

Jason exited the room. He had to go to the hospital. There might be certain things he kept from Clay, but the young man deserved to hear it from him that they were heading out.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Local hospital: Clay’s room**

**6 Hours later**

Clay watched as Sonny continued to lob his phone from one hand to the other. The large man looked worried, bored and pissed off all at the same time. It was a weird look, even for Sonny.

“What’s on that phone of yours that’s got you so worried?” Clay asked as he moved to get more comfortable. The fact that he shared the bed with an overgrown pup made it more of a challenge.

“Your phone, what’s up?” Clay repeated his question.

“What? This?” Sonny tossed the phone on the bed. “Nothing. It’s nothing.”

“Then you won’t mind if I have a look?” Clay reached for the phone. Even before he could lift himself up, Sonny had the phone back in his hand.

“Leave my phone.”

Clay growled, “what are you hiding from me, Sonny?”

“Nothing.” He pushed the phone into his back pocket.

“You’re fucking lying,” Clay challenged his friend.

“No, I’m not.” Sonny moved away from the bed. “You hungry?”

“Don’t change the subject, and no, I’m not hungry.”

“You haven’t eaten at all today.”

“What are you, my fucking nurse?” Clay snapped.

“Wow! Easy.” Sonny took a step back.

“No. No. I want to know what the fuck you are hiding from me, Sonny.”

Sonny knew he’d fucked up. Things were not supposed to go this way. He hated not being with the team. Don’t get him wrong, he understood that he needed to stay here with Clay, and he was more than happy to do that, but he hated not being right in the middle of everything. The fact that they’d decided not to tell Clay about who was behind this whole fucked up scenario, didn’t sit well with most of them, but they’d all agreed that it wouldn’t be beneficial to Clay’s health, if he found out the truth.

“I’m not hiding anything from you. I’m antsy that’s all.” Sonny relaxed his stance and looked at Clay. The stubborn man still glared at him. Sonny took his phone and held it out to Clay. “Here, you can check it if you want to.”

Clay’s shoulders sagged and he shook his head. “I’m sorry. I understand that you don’t want to be stuck here with me.”

Sonny laughed. “Not so much the stuck part that I don’t like, Blondie. You know how I get. I want to be right there. But, here, here is also good.” Sonny looked around, hooked his foot around one of the plastic chairs that stood scattered in the room, and pulled it close. He sat down and interlocked his fingers behind his head and stretched out his legs. “You do look like hell.”

Clay closed his eyes. “Not sleeping well.”

“Would it help if we asked Doc for something that’s not addictive to help you sleep?”

Clay opened his eyes and looked at Sonny. It felt strange having serious conversations with the person who was quickly becoming his best friend. Sonny was the one who always lightened up the mood with a joke; he had a heart of gold, and Clay would have him cover his back any day of the week. “Trying hard to cut down on all of the different pills I’m taking. I want to stop feeling like a zombie.” He didn’t add that he was scared to develop an addiction to sleeping aids.

Sonny’s face split into a grin. “You know I love zombies.”

It made Clay crack a smile. “Yeah, because you want to kill them.” He shook his head. “I’m not ready to die just yet.”

“That’s what I wanted to hear.” Sonny picked up his phone again and turned it over and over. “Speak to Doc, he’s got some herbal stuff that might do the trick.”

“You used them before?”

“Yeah. Still do. Especially after we’re back from a mission. My body doesn’t like going from being on an adrenaline high one moment, to doing nothing for more than two days in a row. So, yes, it’s something that I use, and it works for me.”

Clay stared at Sonny. It was hard to imagine that the larger than life man needed something to help him sleep at night, but then why not? Sonny was right, they lived on adrenaline most of the time. It was hard to get down from. “I will speak to him.”

“That’s all I’m asking.” Sonny opened the phone and scrolled down. “When we picked up Jansher, we got his three bodyguards as well.”

“Jansher?”

“Yeah. This guy.” Sonny turned his phone and showed it to Clay. “You ever seen him?”

Clay gripped the blanket with his fist and lowered his eyes. “No.”

“Clay?” Sonny had noticed Clay’s reaction.

“I haven’t seen him before.” Clay didn’t look at the phone or at Sonny.

Sonny wanted to push, but nodded. He would come back to this later or get one of the other guys to talk to Clay. If that little prick had done anything to hurt Clay, he would pay for it.

“Okay. In any case, we got his three bodyguards as well. Do you recognize any of them perhaps?” Sonny passed the phone to Clay. He noticed the slight tremble in Clay’s hand when he took the phone, but he remained silent.

Clay gripped the phone tighter and flipped through the photos. There were several shots of three burly men. All were head shots and they were clearly dead. The fact that they were no longer in the land of the living made it a bit easier for Clay to breathe. He tapped the screen.

“These two look familiar. Like the ones who jumped me back home.”

“They the only ones?” Sonny asked, as he looked at the photos Clay indicated to.

“Yeah.”

“Never saw them at Parwaiz’s place?”

“No.”

Sonny looked up when he heard the clipped sound in Clay’s voice. The blood had drained from Clay’s face. He looked as white as the sheets on the bed. “You doing okay there, buddy?”

“I’m tired. I’m going to get some sleep.” Clay shimmied down, shifted so that he was lying more on his side, pulled the blanket up higher and closed his eyes.

“Okay. I’m right here, I’m not going anywhere.” Sonny responded with a frown. Clay’s reaction was not the one he’d thought he would get. He had to fill in the team of what he’d learned from Clay’s behavior, there was something going on and whatever it was, he had a feeling it wasn’t good.

The door to Clay’s room opened up, and when Trent appeared, Sonny lowered the Glock. He moved his feet when Cerb trotted in and with a single leap jumped on Clay’s bed. He looked on as the pup made himself comfortable at Clay’s side and Sonny got to his own feet.

“Guard,” he ordered the dog. Sonny grabbed Trent by the arm and pulled him out of Clay’s room.

“What the fuck?” Trent asked, as Sonny let him go.

Sonny growled. He took his phone and showed Jansher’s picture to Trent. “Do we still have this little shit-face?”

Trent shook his head. “I’m not sure, what’s going on, Sonny?”

“I wanted to find out from Clay if he recognized any of Jansher’s bodyguards to see if they were the guys that tried to take him back home. I showed him Jansher’s photo since he didn’t recognize the name. The thing is, when he saw the photo, he became as white as a fucking ghost. His hands trembled and he couldn’t even look me in the eyes. Then he lied, and said he had never seen him before.”

“Fuck.” Trent ran his hand over his short-trimmed beard. “Did you show him the bodyguard photos?”

“He indicated that two looked familiar.”

“You think he’s lying?”

Sonny shrugged. “I’m not sure. I’m more worried about his reaction to Jansher’s photo.”

“Okay. Let’s keep an eye on him for the moment and I’ll let Jason know about this.” Trent bowed his head. “Why does it seem like the kid can’t get a single fucking break?”

“We’ll get him through this.”

“I know, Sonny, but at what cost to Clay?” Trent shook his head. “The sooner we get those bastards, the better.”

“I’m one-hundred percent behind you on that. One-hundred percent.” Sonny slapped Trent on the shoulder. “Let’s get back in. I know we’re right in front of his room, but not seeing him makes my skin crawl.”

Trent grinned. “Let’s go and stare at our kid brother.”

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

_He could feel the blood running down the inside of his thighs as he crawled down the passage. His Master was not present and the guards used this opportunity to use him as they saw fit. He managed to suppress a groan as someone kicked him and the foot connected with his severely bruised side._

_His arms gave way and he stumbled sideways. Someone laughed at his back and he felt the heat rise in his cheeks. He tried to get back on his hands and knees. He didn’t get far before the sting of the whip landed on his back. He groaned as the second stroke joined the first. He curled into himself, protecting his head as far as possible. Streams of blood flowed from his back as the already punished skin split open again. He no longer felt the pain, just heard the telltale sign of the whip slashing through the air before it connected with his skin. The guard behind him continued to scream at the top of his voice, but he blocked it out. He had to, if he intended to stay alive._

_The snapping of the whip stopped, and he uncurled himself. He finally managed to get back on his hands and knees and moved forward. His new pace was even slower than before. A pair of high heels appeared in front of his face. He came to a halt._

_He started to tremble when the voice spoke up. It was high pitched. Almost like a woman’s voice, but it belonged to a man. Not a grown man, someone younger, but crueler than anyone else he had interacted with in this hellhole. He started to crawl backwards, he had to get away, but someone grabbed him by the hair and yanked him forward. He started to fight._

_He couldn’t help to scream as they dragged him into a room. He hated the room. It reeked of blood and piss, more precisely, his blood and piss. He felt the moment another of his ribs gave way as they slammed him down on the wooden table. He tried to buck them off him, but someone pinned him down, while another shackled his hands and feet. In the end he was spread out wide. Totally defenseless. His body at the mercy of the one who remained alone with him as the guards left. They never stayed behind._

_“I have never been so grateful for what I have then right now.” He always started off with the exact same words. It was always followed up with pain. Hot blinding pain that pulsed for hours afterwards. This man-boy seldom left any physical marks behind. Sometimes Clay wished there were more marks so that he could confirm it to himself that he didn’t dream it. That it did happen. His wishes never came true._

_“I have never been so blessed then I am right now.” The torture continued._

_“I have never felt so alive then right now.” More sadistic methods followed. More blood streamed down his legs, it mixed with the older blood and other bodily fluids that coated his skin. No one ever inquired why he bled so much. To them, it didn’t matter._

_“I have never hated anyone more than what I hate you right now.” The man-boy stepped away and disappeared. He got released from the table and dragged to where he slept at night. On these occasions he offered no resistance, but prayed for death. His prayers never got answered._

Clay’s screams had both men out of their chairs and next to his bed within mere seconds. Clay lashed out at unseen hands that grabbed him and held him down. He tried to kick out at legs that came close enough. He continued to scream as the twisted around in bed. “NO! NO! Get off me, get off! NO! _Na!_ NO! FUCK OFF! Leave me alone! No! Please. _Loftan, loftan_. NO!”

“Clay! Clay!” Sonny ducked and dived as Clay continued to lash out at them. He got out of Clay’s reach, and continued to call Clay’s name in an attempt to get their younger brother to wake up and to calm down.

Trent grunted in pain as Clay managed to kick out with his right foot. The solid hit connected with his lower abdomen and he knew he would have an interesting bruise there within the next few hours. He was also concerned about Clay. That kick might’ve done damage to Clay’s leg and foot. Doc would have to take a look at it. Clay continued to scream and fight, not letting up for one second.

“Clay!” Sonny tried again calling out, but it didn’t work. He knew he would have to keep on calling out. Holding Clay down, pinning him to the bed was not an option. Even if it was to stop Clay from hurting himself. “Clay!” Sonny shouted and Clay gasped as his eyes snapped open.

“Clay?” Sonny moved back to the bed and placed his hand on Clay’s chest. “You with me? You awake?”

“Sick.” Clay turned his head and Sonny only had enough time to step away before Clay became violently ill.

Trent had moved up next to Clay’s head and turned the younger man on his side so that he didn’t suffocate on his own vomit. He had a feeling that Clay was ill due to whatever nightmare he got caught in. Sonny stayed where he was as Clay continued to heave.

“Easy. Easy. You’re safe. We’ve got you. Take some deep breaths. Everything will be okay.” Trent coached Clay as their rookie continued to gasp for air. Tears and snot soiled his face as he shook with fear. “You need to calm down. Get your breathing under control, nice and easy.” Trent held Clay’s wrist between his fingers and silently counted Clay’s pulse. It was beating far too quickly, and with the way Clay breathed, he was on the verge of passing out. It was something Trent wanted to prevent.

“This is not working.” Trent looked at Sonny. “Move.” He pushed Sonny to the side, pulled Clay forward and then got onto the bed. Trent was grateful that Clay no longer shied away from their touch. With Sonny’s help, he moved the younger man so that Clay leaned against his chest. He placed his hand on Clay’s chest. “Breathe with me. Come one, breathe with me.” Trent took deep even breaths. He made sure Clay could feel it against his back as he held him close.

“Breathe with me. Concentrate on what I’m doing. You’re going to be all right. Breathe with me.” Trent continued with his encouragement. He was grateful that Clay had stopped fighting against them. He was still fairly out of it, but he was much calmer. He checked Clay’s pulse and sighed when he realized that it had slowed down.

When the young man slumped against him, Trent relaxed as well. He looked at Sonny and frowned. His larger than life friend was almost as pale as Clay. “You all right?”

Sonny shook his head. “Did I cause this?”

Trent frowned. “What? His nightmare?”

“Yeah.”

Trent shook his head. “Sonny, you’re many things, and to the bad guys, you are the stuff nightmares are made of, but for this kid? No, you did not cause this. Don’t go and blame yourself. You know as well as I do that it’s part of the healing process. It’s something his mind needs to work through.”

“But if I didn’t…”

“No. Don’t go there. This could’ve been caused by anything. It’s not your fault. Trust me when I tell you this.”

Clay moaned and Trent looked down. Clay’s eyes were at half-mast and it didn’t surprise him. Clay’s energy level was still very low and this nightmare took all that he had in him.

“You’re all right. We’re going to help you get comfortable, clean you up a bit and then you can rest for a while.”

Trent didn’t ask Clay what he wanted to do. With all Clay’s choices taken away from him during his abduction, Trent knew his actions weren’t right, but he didn’t want the kid to think. He knew Clay would start over thinking things, and then he would panic on what happened. Clay’s body wouldn’t be able to handle another shock like that right now. He eased himself out from the back and gently helped Clay to lay down. When Sonny bumped his hand, he looked up and nodded his thanks.

The big guy had gone to the small bathroom and brought a warm washcloth with him. “Let’s clean you up a bit.” He used the cloth and quickly cleaned Clay’s face.

Trent smiled when their youngster leaned into the touch. He wasn’t surprised when their young brother’s eyes remained closed after he wiped his face.

“I need to update Doc on what happened here. You all right staying here?”

“Not going anywhere.” Sonny responded gruffly.

“I’ll be back soon.” He turned to leave when the door opened up. Once again, both men reached for their sidearms. Doc peaked around the corner, and they lowered their weapons.

“Nurse Laila was right outside the door when she heard what’s going on. She contacted me,” Doc explained as he entered the room. “Want to fill me in on what happened?”

Sonny pushed his chair back so that Doc had space to move. He snapped his fingers and Cerberus moved closer. “He’s going to be all right, Cerb.” Sonny wasn’t sure who he tried to convince. The dog or himself.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Pakistan: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province: Peshawar**

**Parwaiz Residence**

When they’d entered the empty house and Ray mentioned that it felt creepy, Jason had rolled his eyes, but now he had to agree with his 2IC. The place did feel creepy. They’d cleared the ground floor without much luck. They had found what looked like a study, but it held no documents or any electronics they could take. They’d turned the room on its head as they made sure there was no hidden compartment or something similar where stuff might’ve been hidden. They came up empty handed.

They’d moved to the first floor. The first room was clearly a guest room. It was small in size, held a simple pallet for a bed, and the single set of drawers delivered nothing.

Jason stood guard as they entered the second bedroom. It was much larger in size. It had a large king-size bed with a build in wardrobe as well as a set of double drawers. Ray started going through the wardrobe while Brock started on the one set of drawers. Jason cocked his head as he listened to the chatter over the comms. Alpha team was searching the guard house as well as the other out buildings on the property. So far, they had come up empty handed as well.

“Got something,” Ray’s voice sounded up from the large space he’d disappeared into some minutes ago. “Looks like business documents. Business proposals, reference made to some properties, stuff like that.”

“Bag it, we’ll let Mandy and the rest of the Spooks go through that at the base,” Jason responded, as he stepped out from the room and paced the passage before he returned again.

“Got something as well, Boss.” Brock held up what looked like a leather-bound ledger with official looking papers inside.

He quickly paged through it and cursed when he found a single photo. He took it out and held it up for Jason to see. It was a photo of Clay. What was more disturbing, was the fact that in the background he could make out the base parking. It made him fume with anger. He placed it back in the ledger and placed the ledger in a water tight bag he had with him, and then moved on to the second set of drawers. Brock didn’t even want to think about what he’d discovered.

Jason swallowed the bile that formed in his throat when he saw the photo of Clay. He had a feeling that whatever else was in that ledger would be enough to take the son of a bitch down. He also felt relieved. His instinct to come here had already paid off. But there was something else still bothering him. Jason frowned. “This is Parwaiz’s residence, right?”

Ray popped his head out of the wardrobe. “You know it is,” he replied with a frown of his own.

“And his second in command, Matin? Where’s his residence? Or did he reside here?” Jason continued to frown.

Ray looked at Jason and then at Brock. He shrugged his shoulders. “We’ll have to find out.”

Jason keyed his comms. “Bravo one to TOC. How copy?”

_“TOC to Bravo one. Clear copy. Did you find anything?”_

“Instinct was right. We’re searching for more.” Jason cleared his throat. He wouldn’t tell them over the comms what they’ve found. “TOC, answer me this. Where’s Parwaiz’s second in command’s residence?” He got greeted with static. Jason frowned. “TOC?”

_“Hold, Bravo one.”_

Jason sighed. He hated to wait, but he also wanted to kick himself for not asking about this earlier. Never mind just earlier, but like in fucking months earlier. He leaned against the door and thumped and his head against the doorway.

_“Bravo one.”_

“Copy, TOC.”

_“No primary address found on Matin. All information indicates that he stayed with primary target. Either at the compound, or at the address you’re currently at.”_

“No. Sorry, not believing that. Someone is making a huge mistake on this, TOC. We need more intel.” Jason paced the room. He was under the impression that Mandy and her CIA buddies had done a deep dive on Matin. What the fuck happened, why wasn’t it done?

_“Jason, what’s going on, talk to me?”_

“We’re standing in the main bedroom of this house, and there’s no sign that Matin lives or lived in this house.”

_“You positive?”_

“Yeah, I am. There’s a guest room that has nothing. We’re in the main bedroom that’s clearly Parwaiz’s. There’s a second room that belonged to Hadiah from what I remembered when we cleared it the first time. The last room is Jansher’s. Parwaiz’s second in command did not stay here. Why the fuck did the CIA not pick up on this? I thought they did a deep dive on the bastard?” Jason breathed. “If we can find Matin’s primary residence, we’re going to find them there.”

_“Roger, Bravo one. We’ll find out that information ASAP.”_

Jason released his comms. He looked at his two teammates. “We fucked up.”

Ray shook his head. “No, we did not. It’s not our responsibility to gather intel, Jason. We’re there to execute missions. This is not on us.”

“It is. _I_ should’ve checked this out. It is on me.”

Ray looked at Brock and then back at Jason. “Jase, no. Do not go there.” He picked up the bag and headed to the door. “Let’s clear the rest of the house. We’ll talk about this later.”

Jason nodded and the three men moved to the next room. They entered it. It was indeed more feminine, and they started searching the room.

“Well, well.” Brock held something up and Ray took it from him.

“Seriously?” He grinned from ear to ear.

Jason took the bag and held it up to the light. “Anyone for some Water Hemlock?” He looked at the different parts of the plant. It all was neatly packed and vacuumed sealed in a larger bag. “One mystery solved.” He folded the bag up and pushed it into one of his side pockets. He didn’t want it to go missing along the way.

“Help me lift this thing.” Brock stood next to the bed. It was another king-sized bed. Between the three of them, they flipped the mattress off the base and then they stared at one another. They’d found another jackpot.

“Do you think this can go through as treason?” Brock looked disgusted.

“I fucking hope so.” Jason shoved everything he’d picked up in the bag that Ray held.

“I think I know how it worked.” Ray looked up. “Parwaiz made contact with the bastard first. He told Hadiah how he bagged himself an American. He bragged to her about the _in_ he had in the Navy, and she decided to use the same man to kill off her brother. She knew this bastard had no conscious in selling out a SEAL, so he would have no problem in getting her some poison. If we let NCIS know about what we found, they would find the last connection in the dead professor’s stuff. Hadiah might have gotten him killed, but I don’t think she thought of cleaning up this mess from the State’s side.”

Jason looked ill. “Let’s clear the last room and get out of here.” He knew Ray was right, but thinking about it made him want to hurl.

The team of three entered the last room, and Brock opened the door to what looked to be another walk-in closet. He made a sound that no one heard before and he slammed the door shut. His whole body shook.

“Brock?” Jason had raised his rifle; Ray had done the same.

“I will fucking tear him apart limb by fucking limb.” He turned and slammed his fist into the wall.

“Easy.” Ray pulled him away while Jason moved towards the door.

“Jason.” Brock raised his head. His eyes were filled with tears. “Don’t open it. You and Ray should clear the rest of the house. I will go through this and meet up with you.”

“What the fuck is in there?” Jason reached for the door again.

“No!” Brock moved with speed and blocked the door before Jason could open it. “For once in your life, trust me when I tell you, you don’t want to see this.”

“Why not?” Jason remained where he stood.

“Because.”

“That’s not a reason, Brock.”

“I can’t give you another reason, Jason. I can’t.” Brock’s shoulders sagged. “Please, don’t do this. Don’t open it up and look.” He was still shaking. He now understood why Clay was scared of women. One specific woman to be precise. There was more to the story, but he would have to figure that out later.

“Does it concern Clay?” Ray spoke up.

Brock nodded.

“Then we’ve got a right to see it.” Jason moved to grab the doorknob again.

“And what about Clay’s right to privacy?”

“Will it have an effect on his mental ability?” Jason posed the question.

“Yes.”

“Then, as his team leader I have the right to see it. Stand aside, Senior Petty Officer Reynolds.” Jason went toe to toe against the taller man.

Brock refused to move.

“You have never disobeyed a direct order from me, do not let this be the first time,” Jason tried again.

“You are making a huge mistake, Master Chief.”

“Noted. Now step aside,” Jason repeated his order.

Brock closed his eyes for a second, and then moved away from the door. When Jason took the doorknob in his hand, Brock exited the room and he sank down the wall. He held his head in his hands, and waited for Jason to go ballistic. A tear slipped from his eye and he didn’t even try to wipe it away.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

**Pakistan**

**Temporary briefing room: Camp Badaber**

Eric had picked up on the tension between Jason, Ray and Brock the moment they stepped into the control room. “Are we going to have trouble, something that the three of you need to sort out first?”

Jason looked at Ray and Brock and when both men nodded, he spoke up, “we’re sorted.”

“Keep it that way.” Eric stepped away from the table. He picked up the leather-bound ledger they brought in. “I’ve already given a heads’ up to command on what you found. They’ve shared it with NCIS. They’re tracking our mole, and she will be charged with treason.”

“How?” Brock rocked back on his chair.

“SEALs are part of our Armed Forces and seen as assets. By selling out information on our Armed Forces, she committed treason.”

“That gonna work?” Ray inquired.

Eric shrugged. “Not sure, but it’s not our problem to worry about.”

“Yeah, we’ve got bigger things to worry about.” Jason flung the pen he held on the table. “Any new intel on Matin?”

“We’re still looking. It’s going to take a while,” Mandy spoke up from the side.

Jason turned to face her. “It’s going to take a while? Hell, Mandy, you had more than seven months to find out whatever on this guy and yet nothing was done. So, yes, I assume you can have another while to find the information we need. By all means, take your fucking time.”

“Hayes!” Eric snapped from the side.

“It’s the truth.” Jason shrugged. He ignored Mandy.

Eric closed his eyes for a second and counted to ten. He focused his eyes on the different documents spread out on the table. “We can now finally link Parwaiz and Hadiah to that bastard.” None of them mentioned the name of the person, who not only betrayed the SEAL community, but more importantly, betrayed Clay. They couldn’t think about the man who’d done something this despicable without wanting to kill him with their bare hands.

“Mandy and the rest of our CIA operatives dug something up that gives us an indication of where and when Parwaiz and the slimy bastard got into contact with one another for the first time.” He looked at the team. “Desert Storm.”

“Fuck.” Jason covered his face in his hands. “Was Parwaiz in Kuwait at that time?”

“Yes. At that time, he was a student, studying in Iraq. Except that he wasn’t in Iraq studying.” Eric supplied the information.

“Wait? Are you saying he’s indeed a fucking militant?” Jason glared at Mandy.

Eric shook his head. “No. But, he did move in some interesting circles. Unfortunately, he was not marked as a person of interest at that time.”

“And somewhere along the way, they met up. They became friends.” Jason shook his head. “Just what the fuck did he get up to, to get involved with Parwaiz?”

“That’s the question we’ll have to ask him,” Eric responded. He ignored the rumble he heard from Brock that sounded suspiciously that they were not going to find him alive. He made a mental note to talk to Jason. The team couldn’t go rogue on this.

Jason nodded. “So do you think Hadiah met that son of a bitch through her brother?”

Eric shook his head.

Before he could respond Mandy spoke up. “One of the reasons his marriage failed was because he had more than a roaming eye.”

“Are you saying he fucked her?” Brock came to his feet.

Mandy shrugged. “From what we gathered, it seemed he was like a real sailor. Had a girl or two in every port.”

“He knew she planned to kill Parwaiz,” Jason stated.

Ray looked up. “Do you think he knew she would try and kill Clay first?”

Jason shrugged. “Not sure, but I won’t put that past him.”

Eric looked at the team. “We found something else as well.” He didn’t fail to notice how rigid they all got. It made him very uncomfortable. He picked up a few sheets of paper, and when Jason’s shoulders visibly sagged, and he saw that Ray and Brock also relaxed, he knew he had to get to the bottom of things. He couldn’t be blindsided by something later on.

“What’s this?” Jason took the papers and paged through them.

“Financial records. From both brother and sister and there’s one account number they both have in common. The CIA is checking it out for us.”

Jason nodded. It made sense that they would ask the spooks to do it. Fewer pieces of red tape that they had to cut through.

“What is interesting, is that it’s not only money sent to that account number, but both of them also received money. And those transactions have been going on for a substantial number of years,” Mandy supplied the extra information.

“Exchange of intel, paying for it?” Jason looked at Eric.

“Possibly.”

“Mm.” Jason handed the papers back to Eric. “Anything else?”

“We’re still working through everything. You brought in a whole lot more than what we expected,” Eric commented. “Anything you want to discuss?” Eric stared at his three men.

“No, nothing.” Jason rose to his feet.

Eric shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “Clear the room,” he addressed the support personnel. “Davis, you as well. Mandy, you and your team included.”

“Commander Blackburn?” Davis frowned.

“It’s an order, Davis, not a discussion.”

“Yes, Sir.” Lisa stood and continued to the door. She tried to meet Brock or Ray’s eyes, but neither of them looked at her. She heard Mandy objecting, but when Eric spoke up again, even Mandy didn’t hesitate. She looked back as she made sure the room was cleared before she closed the door. When Mandy frowned at her, she shrugged. She had no clue what was going on.

Eric waited until the door closed behind Davis before he spoke up. “You gonna tell me what’s going on?”

All three men remained silent.

“You really want me to pull rank?” Eric moved closer towards Jason. He received no reply.

“Reynolds, anything you want to tell me?” Eric moved and stood right in front of Jason. He didn’t look at Brock even as he asked him the question.

“Nothing, Sir.”

“Perry?”

“Nothing to report, Sir.”

“Master Chief Hayes?”

Jason shook his head. “Nothing, Sir.”

Eric nodded. “If there’s nothing to report by anyone, then please explain to me why the hell it looks like the three of you want to kill one another. The tension is so thick I won’t be able to steer a ship through it.”

Once again, he received no answer. Eric lowered his head. They were the most stubborn bunch of fools he’d ever met, or worked with. But he would get to the bottom of this. He was as stubborn as they were. Hell, he had to be, he worked with them on a daily basis. Eric moved away from Jason. He came to a halt in front of Brock.

“Perry, Hayes, clear the room. Remain in attendance outside.”

“What?” Jason broke the silence. “No.”

Eric swiveled back and stared at Jason. “I’m sorry. That was not a suggestion, Master Chief. That was a direct order. Clear this room and clear it fast.” For a moment Eric was under the impression that Jason would refuse, but then both the team lead and his second in command cleared the room. Neither one of them looked at Brock.

When the door closed behind the two men, Eric moved away from Brock. He leaned with his hip against the table. “Only yes or no answers, understood?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Are you being forced or coerced in any way or manner by either Master Chief Hayes or Senior Chief Perry to remain silent on any particular matter?”

“No, Sir.”

“Are you being forced or coerced in any way or manner by either Master Chief Hayes or Senior Chief Perry to partake in any action that could reflect negatively on the United States of America, the Armed Forces, more specifically the Navy, our platoon, or this SEAL team?”

“No, Sir.”

“Are you being forced or coerced in any way or manner by either Master Chief Hayes or Senior Chief Perry to partake in any illegal activity?”

“No, Sir.”

Eric lowered his head. “Dismissed, but remain in attendance outside.”

“Yes, Sir.” Brock left the room.

Ray entered.

Eric stayed where he was. “Yes or no answers only, Perry.” Eric moved closer. “Let me guess, any question I would ask you, would result in a firm no and I won’t get anything more out of you. Correct?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Sometimes I wonder who is more stubborn. You or Jason.” Eric shook his head. “Will this problem, whatever it is, influence the working relationship within the team as a unit?”

“No, Sir.”

“You sound very sure of yourself, Senior Chief.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“And so you should be.” Eric moved to the other side of the table. “You’re dismissed, but stay present outside.”

“Yes, Sir.” Ray moved towards the door and then came to a halt. He turned and faced Eric. “You’re wrong, Sir.”

“On what?” Eric had no idea to what Ray referred to.

“On who’s the most stubborn, Sir.”

Eric smiled. “Yes, and how am I wrong on that, Senior Chief?”

“Because you forget, Sir. There’s a rookie on our team. Goes by the name of Clay Spenser. I can promise you, he’s more stubborn than what Jason and myself combined could ever be.”

Eric laughed. “You are most likely right on that, Ray.” He looked on as Ray exited the room. The smile disappeared from Eric’s face. He still wanted to scream out of frustration.

Jason entered the room and Eric indicated for him to take a seat.

Jason sat down across from Eric and the two men stared at one another. It was Eric who looked away first. He was also the first to speak up. “Want to tell me what’s going on, Jason?”

“Nothing to tell.”

“And I’m a Christmas elf,” Eric grumbled. “I don’t know what happened during this mission, Jason, but I’m telling you now, if it fucks up the dynamics of this team, I will ride your ass so hard you would remember BUD/S as days of pure leisure.”

“It won’t.”

“Fuck, I wished I had your absolute confidence.” Eric came to his feet. “Whatever happens later on, will it be traced back to us in any way or manner?”

“No, Sir.”

Eric bowed his head. “Call in Brock and Ray.” He remained with his back to the door as Jason obeyed his order. He made them wait because he wanted to be a hard ass. They made no sound as they silently stood at his back. Finally, Eric turned around.

His men stood at attention, but he could see something clutched in Brock’s hand.

“At ease.” It felt strange to say those words to these men.

The moment they stood at a parade rest, Brock handed what appeared to be a photo to him. Eric took it silently, and then wished he didn’t take it at all. He had wondered if something like that had happened. He didn’t want to think about it, but with the type of activities Parwaiz was involved with, they all would’ve been stupid not to think Clay wouldn’t have been sexually abused. But what was depicted in that photo was sick. Eric wouldn’t have believed it from Jansher if he didn’t have the photo in his hand. That fuck-nut was worse than his uncle could ever be. The fact that Clay was still alive, spoke of how strong that young man was. When he looked up, he knew they saw the horror on his face. Eric stared at Jason, but it was Brock, who spoke up.

“That’s one of the milder ones. It’s also the only one remaining. The rest, and trust us, there were a lot, were all destroyed.”

Eric handed the photo back to Brock. He looked on as the SEAL took out a lighter from a side pocket and set the photo alight. He held it by the corner until he had no choice but to drop it. They all looked on as the photo turned to nothing but ash.

“And now there’s nothing left.”

“Anyone else depicted? Like Parwaiz or Matin?”

“No one else,” Brock responded again.

“Are you going to inform the rest of your team?” His question was greeted with silence. And finally, a light went on. “That’s why you’re so angry with one another.” Eric looked at each of them. “Tell them. You will need to get this off your chests, and don’t get me wrong, I don’t expect you to share any of the details you might’ve seen, but don’t bottle this up. It will haunt you.”

“And what do you think Clay will do when he realizes what we know?”

Eric regarded Brock. “He will know that you have his back. That you don’t look at him with pity, but that you respect him, for he’s not a victim, but a survivor.”

They all nodded.

“The next priority flight back to Afghanistan leaves in a couple of hours. You’re expected on that flight.”

They turned and proceeded to the door. Eric’s voice halted them again. “I will make sure you get the green light for a mission to take care of that problem. It will not go unresolved. We will handle it.”

“Roger that, Sir,” Jason responded and the three SEALs exited the office.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Afghanistan: Kabul Province**

**Local hospital: Clay’s room**

**7 Hours later**

“You look like hell.” Sonny looked at Brock when his brother entered Clay’s room.

Brock snorted. “You don’t look much better.”

“Yeah? Had a rough time with the kid. What’s your excuse?” Sonny got to his feet and neared Clay’s bed. He rested the palm of his hand on Clay’s forehead before he stepped away.

“He sick?” Brock asked in concern. He held still as Cerberus stood on his hind legs and gave him doggy kisses. “Missed you too, buddy.” He hugged the dog tight. Cerberus’ tail thumped against his leg.

“Stubborn fever.”

“From what?” Brock frowned. When they left, Clay had no fever. “Got an infection somewhere?”

Sonny shook his head. “No infection.” He sighed. “In short, he’s making himself ill.”

“What?” Brock hissed. He couldn’t believe that.

“Sorry.” Sonny held up his hands. “Not like that. He’s having some bad flashbacks and nightmares. It makes him physically ill. He’s dehydrated, Trent says Clay already lost more weight. He doesn’t want to talk to us. He doesn’t want to sleep. Which leads to him being agitated and grumpy. When he finally succumbs to exhaustion, he starts dreaming again, which leads to more vomiting.” Sonny’s shoulders slumped. “One vicious circle.”

“Fuck.” Brock sat down heavily on Sonny’s chair.

“Gonna tell me why you look like the way you look?” Sonny moved towards the tiny bathroom. He rung out a cloth in cold water and placed it on Clay’s forehead.

Brock sighed. He, Jason, and Ray had another shouting match, but they finally came to an agreement that they would tell Sonny and Trent what they had found. But not the details, they had no right to share those. Between the five of them, they would then tell Clay. But hearing what Clay had been going through, made him want to rethink their decision. He didn’t know if Clay would be able to survive something else.

“Brock.” Sonny moved to his brother’s side. “You’re starting to worry me. The only two times when you get so quiet is either when you and Trent are planning something, and since Trent ain’t here, you’re not planning something, or two, when you’ve got some shitty information and you don’t know how to share it with us.”

Brock made eye contact with Sonny. “Later.”

Sonny wanted to argue, but something in Brock’s face told him now was not the time. He nodded in agreement. “Later.” He yawned. “You all right, sitting for a while with the kid? I need to get some shuteye.”

Brock nodded. “Go, I’ll keep watch.”

“Thanks, brother.” Sonny yawned again. He grabbed his backpack and headed out the door.

Brock looked on as his kid brother slept on. He wished Clay could wake up and that everything would be all right. He snorted silently. He knew that wish would never come true. But he did wish that Clay would let them help him, because he was going to need their help, and Brock had a feeling they were going to need Clay’s help as well.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Afghanistan: Kabul Province**

**Rented House**

Sonny frowned as he entered what he thought to have been the foyer to the house they were renting. He could’ve sworn there were a few paintings against the wall. A dresser had stood in the one corner and a large mirror had decorated the wall across from the front door, but now everything was removed.

“Have we been burglarized? And if they took my fucking cap, I’m going to kill someone.” He’d forgotten to take the cap with him to the hospital that morning and knew it was lying on his bed. He made a beeline for the stairs to go and check, but a hand on his arm stopped him in his tracks.

“We’ve not been burglarized, Sonny.” Ray released his arm when Sonny stopped going towards the stairs.

“You sure about that?” Sonny looked around.

“I’m sure. I removed the stuff myself.”

“Why?” Sonny cocked his head. “You feeling all right? Did you take the stuff to sell? Are you and Naima having some money problems?”

Ray smiled. “We’re all right, Sonny, no money problems, I promise.”

“Then what’s going on?”

“We need to talk to you and Trent.” Jason came down from the stairs with Brock on his heels.

“Okay?” Sonny looked at his brothers. “What’s this about?”

“Let’s wait on Trent and then we’ll tell you,” Brock answered.

“Is this going to take long? Clay is alone at the hospital.” Sonny started to fidget. A feeling of dread had settled on him.

“Clay is not alone at the hospital; Alpha team is with him. You know that.” Jason rolled his eyes.

Sonny shook his head. “It’s not the same, Boss, and you know it.”

“I know, Sonny.” Jason fist bumped him.

“Trent!” Sonny bellowed. “Where the fuck are you? You stuck somewhere, do you need a hand? Maybe a plumber?”

Brock burst out laughing. He snickered when Trent appeared behind Sonny and slapped him behind the head.

“No, I’m not stuck, I don’t need a hand, and definitely not a fucking plumber,” Trent rumbled.

Sonny laughed and shook his head. “Hey, brother, I had to make sure, you know.”

Trent shook his head. They sobered up when Jason spoke up.

“We’ve got something to tell you, but first I need a promise from you. Both of you.” Jason looked at his two men.

“Anything, Boss,” both men replied simultaneously.

“And then you don’t get it when I tell you people follow you blindly.” Ray shook his head at Jason.

“Not helping, Ray.” Jason glared at his second in command.

“Yeah, I know.” It was Ray’s turn to look at his two teammates. “You need to promise us that you will not leave this room until the end.” Ray shrugged. He had no other way of explaining it that wouldn’t entail either man already demanding answers before they had an opportunity to explain anything to them.

Trent frowned. “You’re not making any sense.”

“Yeah, until the end of what? Because, if you want me to stay here while there’s a zombie apocalypse going on outside, then I’m sorry, I can’t make such a promise.”

Jason looked at Ray and at Brock. This was going to be even harder than what he’d imagined. “Okay, let me put it this way. And I’ll make it a direct order, just so that we all understand it. Do not go out of this room until you’ve calmed down. Do you understand that? We don’t want this place trashed.” Jason shrugged. “Not if we can’t help it in any case.”

“Jason,” Ray scolded.

“What?” Jason looked at Sonny and Trent. “Do you understand?”

“This something to do with why the three of you look like you want to commit murder?” Trent asked.

“Yeah,” Brock answered.

“We are not going to like this, are we?” Sonny looked around the room. Now he knew why everything was removed. He and Trent were most likely going to go ballistic over what they had to tell them. He, for one, liked smashing things into small pieces if he was upset. Trent had the same tendency.

“This something to do with the Kid?”

“Yes,” all three answered at the same time.

“We gonna leave him here again? Because then I’m telling you now, that’s not happening.” Sonny folded his arms across his chest. He looked on as Trent mirrored his stance.

“We’re not leaving Clay here.” Brock paced nervously.

“Okay, then it can’t be that bad. Spit it out.” Sonny moved away from the group and leaned against the wall.

Ray placed his hands on his head. Brock folded his arms across his chest as he came to a halt in the middle of the room. Jason held his arms by his sides, but looked down at the floor. When he finally started to talk, his voice was a mere whisper. Both Sonny and Trent could hear the emotions in Jason’s voice as he told them what they had found.

Silence settled as Jason’s voice faded away. Sonny stumbled away from the wall and landed hard on his knees. He retched violently, bile spilled from his throat as he emptied his stomach on the tiled floor.

Trent roared and it took Brock, Ray, and Jason to bring him down and to keep him pinned to the floor. He writhed and twisted as he tried to get out of their grasp. He cursed and yelled, but it turned into tears and finally, he sagged, and went limp. They let him go. Brock stayed by his side.

Jason moved to Sonny. The large man had stopped heaving, but he gasped for air. Jason pulled him up from the floor and let him lean against his chest. “Breathe, Sonny, breathe,” Jason coaxed his brother until Sonny finally took in a lung full of air.

Ray stood in the middle and for the first time in a very long time, he didn’t have the faith to pray.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

It was the smell of the sea air that woke him up. Clay smiled when he looked to his right and saw Brian walking towards him.

“You’re looking good,” Clay spoke when Brian was close enough to hear him.

“And you not so good,” Brian responded as he took his place next to Clay on the sand.

“I don’t want to talk about me.” Clay brought up his knees and crossed his arms around them.

“And yet, here we are. In your head. In your safe place.” Brian leaned back on his elbows.

“I’ve decided that you’re jealous.” Clay ignored the remark that they were in his head.

“About what?” Brian responded with a grin.

“About all of this.” Clay got to his feet. “This perfect beach weather.” He laughed as he looked up to the sky.

“You’re stalling.” Brian got to his own feet.

“No, I’m not.” Clay waded into the water. It lapped at his waist. The dark clouds gathered on the horizon and the wind picked up.

“Clay.” Brian walked in after his friend. The water was cold against his skin. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.”

Brian shook his head. “It’s not nothing and you know it. Talk to me, what’s going on?”

Thunder rolled in the distance. The calm sea started to become choppy.

“Can I take a guess?” Brian stood shoulder to shoulder with his best friend.

Clay shrugged. He stared out at the water.

“The flashbacks and nightmares you’re having. You’re remembering more.”

“I don’t want to,” Clay admitted to Brian’s statement.

“Because it terrifies you?”

“Yeah.”

“But it’s also more than that. Isn’t it?”

Clay looked at the water. It was black. He didn’t respond.

Brian pushed on. “It’s because of what you’re seeing in your dreams. Or _who_ you see in your dreams.”

“It can’t be true,” Clay finally broke his silence.

It was Brain’s turn to remain quiet. Clay had to do this bit on his own.

“There’s so many things not making sense. Images, sounds, smells. It’s all right on top of me. The sounds are too loud, I don’t understand. I don’t want to understand. I’m an American, I don’t want to talk Pashto. It’s not my language. They don’t give a damn. _‘It’s the only language allowed, pet. For each word you speak in English, you will be punished.’_ ” Clay’s accent changed. He had a sneer on his face. “ _‘Pets don’t walk. They crawl.’_ ”

“That smell, I hate it. It’s fucking everywhere!” Clay screamed. “I can smell it on their breaths, on their clothes. When they piss on me, their piss smells like it. Cinnamon, mixed with cardamom, or maybe it’s the other fucking way around. I DON’T KNOW!”

Clay fell to his knees. He was no longer in the water, but on the beach. The sand was hot beneath his hands and knees. He stumbled backward and landed on his ass. He didn’t want to be on his hands and knees. Never again, if he could help it. Clay drew his knees up to his chest. His toes buried beneath the hot sand.

“Parwaiz is six foot five, weighs around one-hundred and eighty-five pounds with slightly slanted eyes, a nose like a hawk’s beak. He’s got black hair, kept military-cut short, dark skin and a single mole on his left cheek. He’s fluent in a number of different languages, including, Arabic, Russian and French. He’s left handed, but makes sure to eat with his right hand only. He wears a size eleven shoe. He has a scar on his lower right stomach – appendix if I had to guess.” Clay swallowed the bile that threatened to make him heave. He looked up and noticed Brian seated next to him.

“Is this what you wanted to hear? Are you happy now!” He couldn’t help it as he screamed at his best friend.

“I’m not, and you know it, Clay. Once again, you also know this is your head. Not mine and you have to deal with this. You can’t bottle it up.”

“Fuck you!” Clay sneered.

He stumbled to his feet and found himself back in the water. The current was strong and it threatened to sweep him off his feet. He dug his heels into the sand.

“Matin.” He shuddered. His hands reached for the faint scars that decorated his chest. He chuckled, but there was nothing funny about the sound. “Short. Like in not even five-foot-six, short. Pudgy. Around a hundred-and-sixty pounds. Dark hair, dark skin, huge eyes, like a pug’s. Black in color. Right handed. Speaks with a noticeable lisp. Especially when he’s angry with someone. Size six shoe. He’s got the biggest balls on a man I’ve ever seen.” Clay gagged and he shook his head. He couldn’t go there.

He traced the scars with his fingers. “He had this knife. Small, man, smaller than a standard pocket knife but sharp – razor sharp. He never used it to slice, or stab, but loved to nick. He would put the knife point on your skin and then flick the blade upwards. That’s all. The wounds never bled immediately, but they all bled together. He loved that. He would trace his fingers in the blood, write passages from the Qur’an on my skin with my blood and tell me how useless I was. That I was an abomination. That I didn’t have the right to breathe.”

Clay lowered his head. “All this he’d do as he slammed his cock into me. Telling me to tighten up, that he wanted a tight fuck.”

Clay looked up to the sky and screamed. His legs gave way but once again instead of drowning, he found himself back on the beach. Brian was next to him. “Why are you doing this to me? I hate you, Brian. I fucking hate you!”

“I love you, brother,” Brian responded. He swung his arm around Clay’s shoulders and pulled him to his chest.

“He was there. He sold me out,” Clay whispered the words.

“Who was there, Clay? Who was it?” Brian pushed.

Clay shook his head. He didn’t want to answer.

“Who was there?” Brian got into Clay’s face.

Clay swallowed. “Five-foot-eleven. Scrawny build. Light-brown eyes. Cold, calculated. Grey hair, stringy, longer than standard. Raspy voice.” He shook his head. “No.”

“Who was there, Clay?”

“Spoke English. Spoke Arabic.”

“Say his name. Tell me who it was, brother. Who was there? Who sold you out?”

Clay screamed. “Ash! It was Ash! He was there! He saw me crawling. He acted as if he didn’t know me! My father sold me out! He betrayed me.” Clay continued to scream.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**Local hospital: Clay’s room**

**3 Days later**

Ray sat with his head bowed and his eyes closed. He was dog tired. They all were. The last three days were no fun, but at least things were moving in a definite direction. More importantly, Doc had indicated that Clay might be going home within the next couple of days. That was if he didn’t experience any unforeseen setbacks. Movement from the bed reached his ears, and he approached the bed even before Clay could open his eyes.

“You’re safe.” He squeezed Clay’s hand, and waited until the young man opened his eyes before he removed his hand.

“You’re real?” Clay’s voice was still hoarse. Doc had indicated that it would take at least a week for Clay’s vocal cords to be back to normal.

“Yes, I’m real. You’re still in the hospital, but you’re doing much better.”

Clay nodded tiredly. He closed his eyes, but they snapped open again. “He’s not here?” His eyes darted around the room.

“He’s not here. And he will not get close to you. We’ve got your back, brother. We’ll keep you safe.” Ray didn’t get impatient or upset as he explained everything to Clay for what felt like the twentieth time.

“Okay.” He closed his eyes again.

Ray remained where he stood. He knew Clay would at least speak up another two times before he would settle down again. None of them minded.

“Where’s my pistol?” Clay looked around in his bed. He was once again wide awake.

Ray leaned over and pulled Clay’s Glock from beneath his pillow. “Right here.”

Clay held the pistol in his hand, nodded, and pushed the weapon back beneath his pillow. He never checked if it was loaded. Something that they were all grateful for. They’d had no problem giving Clay his weapon, but they weren’t careless enough to give him a loaded weapon. That would only happen when he was better.

“Ray?”

“Yes, brother?”

“You okay?”

Ray smiled. “I’m more than okay, I’m good, Clay.”

Clay smiled in return and then closed his eyes. He sighed, and then his breathing evened out and he drifted back to sleep.

Ray’s own weapon was in his hand and pointed at the door when it opened up. He didn’t lower it until Doc closed the door behind him. “He was just awake.” He made no excuse for pointing his pistol at Doc. He knew Doc understood.

“He coherent?” Doc checked Clay’s vitals and updated the file. He smiled and nodded to himself.

“For the most part.”

“Still needed to know if you were real?”

“Yes,” Ray answered. “Looked for his weapon, made sure Ash wasn’t around, and asked if I was okay.”

Doc growled at Ash Spenser’s name. He had taken an oath to do no harm, but he realized that there was an exception to that rule. That exception had a name. He was called Ash Spenser. Doc would shoot and kill that son of a bitch without hesitating for one second. He knew they all would. “Did he look for Jason or any of the others?”

“Not this time around.” Ray looked up as Clay started moving around in his bed again. By the stiffness in his limbs he knew Clay was having a nightmare. He moved around to Clay’s head and leaned in. He started to whisper in Clay’s ear. When Clay latched out, he took Clay’s hand in his and squeezed it tight. “It’s just a dream, Clay. You’re safe. No one can hurt you, brother. We are all standing guard. We’re here for you, Clay. You’re safe.”

It took a few minutes, but finally Clay settled down again without waking up. Ray used his foot to pull a plastic chair closer, but kept his hand where it was. He wasn’t going to let go. “You looked pleased with yourself before this,” Ray prompted Doc.

“Twelve hours with no fever. I would say that’s something to be pleased about.” Doc grinned.

“Indeed.” Ray returned the smile. “You still willing to let him fly out in a few days?”

“I am. But you also know the one condition that I’m not willing to waive.”

“He needs to eat a full meal, or drink a protein shake.” Ray sighed. “You sure you can’t compromise on that, Doc?”

“No, Ray. I’m not going to compromise on that. Clay needs to eat. You know I’m not asking him to eat a heavy meal, but I want him to eat a healthy one. I’m not going to limit him to what he can eat, as long as I can classify it as a meal, I’ll be happy.”

“Okay.” Ray started thinking about ideas. Between him and Jason, they’d be able to come up with something. He knew Emma had been a fussy eater when she was little. Jameelah’d had the same problem a year or what back. He’d get something figured out, otherwise he could always call Naima. She’d be able to help. He knew Alana would help too.

“That’s settled then.” Doc placed the file down where he knew Trent would have a look at it later. “Do you know when they’ll be back?”

“Not sure, it all depends.”

“Why did they choose you to stay?” Doc seemed really interested.

Ray shrugged. “Best shooter.”

“True, but you’re also the most calming.” Doc took a seat on one of the other chairs. “Do you think they’ll get them?”

“Intel confirmed that both targets were on site.” Ray stretched his legs out in front of him.

“And if they can’t get them?” Doc raised his hand in surrender when Ray glared at him. “Hypothetically.”

“Air strike.”

“Which one do you prefer?”

Ray snorted. “I want them dead. It doesn’t matter how. If we do it ourselves, Jason and the team will make sure they don’t get out there alive. If we can’t do it, then that air strike will blow them into a million pieces. Either way, as long as they stop breathing, it will be good enough for me.”

“What about?”

Ray once again glared at Doc. “If you’re about to ask about that son of a bitch, then don’t.”

“You and the rest of Bravo still blaming yourself for that?” Doc cocked his head. “There was nothing you could’ve done.”

“We should’ve been here.”

Doc snorted and rose to his feet. “Derek and Scott were in this room. I was on my way to come and check on Clay when he started screaming. There was no outward sign of him having a nightmare, or even dreaming for that matter. And I have to say, and you may want to punch me for saying it, but I’m glad it happened that way. His subconscious finally made him remember and it took a burden from your shoulders.”

“How did you know?” Ray frowned.

“How did I know you knew his father was involved?”

Ray nodded.

“The fact that none of you once uttered his name. The fact that even though Clay was missing and later found, none of you even made one attempt to contact the man to tell him his son was MIA, or that you rescued him. Then you got more proof of his involvement, and by the odd chance someone mentioned the old Team six, you all would go silent and slip into killer mode.”

“You’re very perceptive, Doc.”

“But, getting back to Clay remembering and you’re not being here. Yes, it sucked, but you were here when we finally got him to calm down and he started rambling facts about everyone in that house. When he started rambling his father’s statistics, and not once referred to him as his father, you and the rest of Bravo team stepped up and made sure he knew beyond anything else in the world that you were there for him. That is something he’ll never forget. That is something he’ll be forever grateful for.”

Ray remained silent. There were certain things they knew about Clay that they still had to discuss with him. Ray was worried that it might tip Clay over the edge. He worried that they would not be enough for Clay. That they might lose their little brother forever.

“I’m also worried about all of you.”

Ray turned his head and glanced at their team doctor. “Why?”

“Because while you were in Pakistan, something happened between you, Brock, and Jason. You’re trying to hide it, but if you know what to look for, it’s quite noticeable.”

“We’re fine.”

Doc shook his head but remained quiet. He hated the word _fine_. He started hating it even more since he began working with Bravo team. He wished he could get someone to make an order that the word _fine_ be declared an unmentionable word.

“Jason wants Clay to talk to Doctor Kruger.” Ray decided to move the conversation into another direction.

Doc nearly fell over his own feet. “Doctor Julie Kruger, the psychologist?”

Ray smiled. “Yeah, don’t worry. I didn’t believe it either at first when he mentioned it.”

“It will be a good thing if all of you attended some sessions together.”

“Now, you’re taking it too far, Doc.”

“And if it helps Clay?”

Ray groaned.

“All that I’m saying is that Clay would benefit from you being there for him. You all would benefit from it.”

Ray snickered. “Do me a favor, Doc, explain that to Sonny.”

“No, no I’m not going to try and do that. That, Ray Perry is yours and the rest of Bravo team’s problem.”

Both men chuckled at the thought of getting Sonny to agree to therapy. But silently, both of them also knew it was something that had to be done.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Afghanistan: Farah Province**

“Bravo one to TOC, how do you copy?” Jason keyed his comms as they settled down in the tall grass. They’d finally received intel on a house that belonged to a distant cousin of Matin which was rumored to be used by Matin himself. They got eyes on the place, and after forty-eight hours, it was confirmed. Matin and Parwaiz were spotted on the property.

 _“TOC to Bravo one, good copy,”_ Davis’ voice came through clear.

“TOC, be advised, we’re approximately one klick away from the target building. Confirm if targets are still on site.”

_“Bravo one, both targets are indeed on site. There are six guards stationed around the compound. All in stationary positions. None of them appear to be doing patrols.”_

“Roger that.” Jason released his comms and indicated for his team to move forward. Ray might have stayed at the hospital with Clay, but they’d brought the whole Alpha team with them. They were not taking any chances in letting Parwaiz or Matin get away again.

The team of eleven, including Cerberus, moved silently forward, all their weapons at a ready.

They reached the edge of the compound, and after a quick comms check with TOC, Jason signaled again and the teams split up. Bravo team took the front entrance, while Alpha team went around the back. 

_“Alpha team in position. Ready on your go, Bravo one,”_ Full Metal’s voice sounded in Jason’s ear.

“Roger that. Stay at the ready, Alpha One. Breach will happen in three, two, one…”

The door gave way and the four men and one dog entered the compound. Suppressed shots took out the first two guards. In unison they moved deeper, clearing every inch of the space around them before they crept closer. Within mere minutes, all six guards were taken out and Jason contacted Full Metal that they were heading into the building.

They were once again going in blind and Jason hated both Parwaiz and Matin for that reason alone. Bravo team stayed close together as they checked the rooms one by one. Another two fighting age males were subdued, while three got eliminated as they tried to shoot Bravo team.

With the ground floor cleared, they moved in formation up to the first floor. Cerberus strained against his leash and Brock had to keep a tight hold on it so the dog didn’t pull free.

Jason frowned at Cerberus’ behavior. The dog was normally very calm, but tonight it was obvious that even he was on edge. Jason was grateful for the fact that the dog didn’t sit. He wasn’t in a mood for any explosives or fuck-nuts with suicide vests.

They stepped onto the landing and Cerberus growled. It was a sound that Jason had never heard before. It came from deep within him, the dog’s body totally rigid, his teeth bared and every single hair on his body stood on end. Jason caught Brock’s eye and nodded. With a flick of his hand, Brock released Cerb from his leash. The dog shot forward like a missile.

They followed him down the passage. The first door on the left led to an empty bedroom, as well the door on the right. As they neared the second door on the left, Cerberus barked once. It was followed by a hard thump and then a blood-curdling scream. None of them had to imagine what Cerb was doing, as the man stumbled from the room into the passage. They could see the dog not only biting to keep him down, but he was tearing the man to shreds. It was gruesome enough for Jason to shudder.

“ _Aus! Aus! **1**_ ” Brock had to order Cerberus to let go twice before the dog finally dropped the arm he had nearly ripped off. “ _Fuss._ **2** ”

Cerberus heeled at the command and Brock attached his leash again. The man on the floor had gone silent, and Brock knew it was either because of shock, or that Cerberus had nicked an artery and the man had already bled out.

With Cerb back on his leash, Brock moved closer to the fallen man. He kept his weapon pointed at the man. He crouched down and felt for a pulse when the man didn’t move. He didn’t find one, and Brock got back on his feet. He took out his phone and snapped two photos. He didn’t need to send it to TOC, but he did it in any case.

He keyed his comms. “Target down. Matin neutralized.”

Brock scratched Cerbs’ ears. He knew that tonight, and for the following few days, he’d have to be more vigilant than usual as all the guys would try and sneak Cerberus human treats. They didn’t listen when he said feeding Cerb human treats did more harm than good. The only one that listened to him was Clay. Clay would rather take some extra time to play with Cerberus as a ‘good job’ treat for the dog, and Brock knew that was one of the reasons why Cerberus loved Clay so much.

They cleared the rest of the house, but couldn’t find Parwaiz. The whole team knew it was impossible. The man could not have managed to squirt away, and the drone they used overhead had confirmed his presence in the house an hour prior to the assault. He had to be somewhere.

Jason turned to Brock. “Will Cerberus find him?”

Brock held up a pair of boxers by his fingertips. “Found this in the room we identified as Parwaiz’s. Cerb will be able to follow him after he gets a whiff of this.”

“Just to find him, Brock, and subdue him. We want this one for ourselves.”

“Roger that, Boss.” Brock held out the underwear to Cerb. “ _Suche_. **3** ” Brock kept Cerberus on his leash, and as the dog bared forward, he followed quickly. The rest of the team trailed behind.

Cerberus darted all over the place. Sometimes he would pant hard, other times he would whine in the back of his throat, but not once did he go silent. Until they reached a door on the ground floor. It was a built-in closet, and it stood open as they had cleared it earlier, but Cerberus placed himself inside the closet and sniffed at the one corner. Brock pulled Cerberus back.

“Seems like Matin shared Parwaiz’s love for hidden rooms.” Jason pulled off his tactical gloves, and with his bare hands, he pressed against the back wall of the closet as he looked for a pressure point which would release the panel and allow them access. He found what he was looking for, and with a soft click, the back panel gave way. A dim light shined through.

“Stay alert,” Jason ordered, as Sonny went through the door first with Trent on his heels.

They were in a narrow tunnel illuminated by what appeared to be gas lights. Jason grimaced at the sight. It would just be their luck if a gas line ruptured and a spark ignited and blew them all up. He keyed his comms to alert TOC and Alpha team on their discovery, and then rolled his eyes when he realized that the only thing that came through was static.

“Fucking awesome,” he mumbled to himself as he entered the narrow space.

They walked in single file, slowly and silently.When Cerberus came to a sudden halt and sat down on his haunches, Brock brought the whole team to a halt. They found explosives in a small indent in the side of the tunnel, and after it was disarmed, they moved on. This time, Brock and Cerberus lead the way. Cerberus alerted them to three further crudely assembled bombs. By that time, they all were on edge. They wanted to find Parwaiz, but it seemed that they were out of luck. Clearing the tunnel took longer than they had expected, and the fact that they had no communication with TOC or Alpha team was a huge hindrance.

After what felt like hours, but was less than forty-five minutes, the narrow tunnel opened up into a wide cavern. A rickety ladder stood against the far wall and at the top they could make out a trap door.

By this time, Jason swore continuously. He didn’t want to say it out loud, but he had the feeling that Parwaiz had managed to evade them once again. Jason wanted to scream, but knew it wouldn’t help.

Sonny climbed the ladder first and pushed the trap door open. When Sonny gave the all clear call, Jason followed, with Cerberus, Brock, and Trent.

They stood on the outskirts of the village. There was nothing moving in sight. Jason knew they were out of the drone’s view that they had in the sky. He keyed his comms, and when he got through, he shared the news. They’d failed once again.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Tactical Operation Center – Afghanistan: Kabul**

**Following morning**

Eric gazed at the group of men gathered around the large storage unit that served as their team room. By the despondent looks on their faces, he knew they were taking the fact that Parwaiz escaped capture, yet again, extremely hard. To them, it didn’t even count as a win that they got Matin, or, that after they’d returned from the tunnel, and searched Matin’s house, they had found even more evidence that linked Clay’s sperm donor to acts of terrorism against the US.

“Listen up.” He came to a halt in front of them. “Parwaiz got away, but we cannot classify the mission as a failed one. Not with the fact that we got Matin, or the extra intel. Brass has extended their gratitude on this mission.”

Sonny snorted. “And yet, they’re not here when we have to tell Clay that we’re sorry, the man who took him once again evaded capture. That we did fail.”

The rest of Bravo team grunted in agreement. Even a few guys on Alpha team nodded their heads.

“We will get him, or are you saying we’re not the best at what we do?” Eric put the challenge out there. He knew the team, and he knew how they would react.

Jason showed him a middle finger. Sonny growled, and Cerberus bared his teeth. The last one made Eric take a step back.

“Do we know when Parwaiz slipped away?” Ray looked intently at the screen as if the answer would jump out.

“We can’t say exactly, but we assume it was in the hour between when the drone last picked him up and the raid,” Eric explained the situation.

“And no idea on where he went?” Ray continued.

“No. Our technicians are still searching for possible satellite footage taken of the surrounding area to see if we can get an idea on where he went to, but at this stage we have no idea what his final destination might’ve been. Our CIA operatives are also looking for our target again.”

“We know what his final destination is, Blackburn. It’s called hell. We might not know where he is right now, but the moment he stops breathing, he’ll be going straight to one place and one place only.” Sonny’s eyes blazed with fire.

“Hear, hear!” Jason slapped Sonny on the back while Brock, Trent, and Ray all fist bumped him.

It was the perfect comeback from Sonny. “Now, I also have something else to say to you, and for once, the Brass is giving you a choice.” Eric rounded the table and leaned with his hip on the corner. “The next time we get intel on Parwaiz, and we can confirm he is there, they will approve an air strike to take him out. Make sure he’s dead once and for all.”

Jason cocked his head. “What about other casualties?”

“The brass sees him as a big enough problem to justify those casualties.”

“Seriously?” Ray leaned forward in his chair.

“The Kid won’t go for it.” Sonny came to his feet.

“What do you mean?” Eric inquired.

“Clay won’t let us blow a place to smithereens to get one target. For him, the loss of innocent civilians won’t be justified,” Sonny addressed the room. Every man in the room nodded in agreement.

“What if the target is alone?” Eric looked at Sonny.

“Then he won’t have a problem. As long as it can be confirmed that that there are no women or children on site before the air strike happens, he’ll be all right with it.”

“I’ll convey the message to Captain Harrington.”

“Any news on our mole or that son of a bitch?” Brock asked, as he tossed the ball to Cerberus. The dog caught the ball in midair.

Eric shook his head as the coded door to the briefing room opened up. They all looked on as Mandy entered. She had a huge smile on her face.

“Either you got laid, or you have some good news.” Sonny chuckled when Ray’s hand connected with the back of his head. He didn’t even attempt to apologize.

Mandy glared at him, but then smiled again. “It’s good news.”

“Spill,” Jason urged her on.

“Our mole was arrested an hour ago.”

“Fucking finally!” Sonny roared as he came to his feet. He didn’t hesitate for a second to pull Mandy off her feet as he hugged her hard.

Jason grinned from ear to ear. “Where’s she now?”

“Gitmo.” Mandy straightened her clothes after Sonny’s hug. “I’m heading there within the next few hours.”

“They giving you a crack at her?” Jason was impressed. He knew that he came down hard on Mandy some of the time, but she was still one of the best CIA operatives out there. She had more than a good chance on getting the petty officer to spill the beans.

Mandy nodded.

“You’ll keep us up to date?”

“Yes. I will definitely keep you up to date.”

“Great.” Jason slapped the table with his hand. “Let’s get back to the kid.”

“Let’s get going, time’s a wastin,” Sonny piped up as the team exited the room.

They had the mole. They were one step closer to finding Ash fucking Spenser and bringing him down. Sonny looked forward to that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Aus - off (release)  
> 2\. Fuss - heel  
> 3\. Such - Search (seek)


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**Afghanistan: Kabul Province**

**Local hospital: Clay’s room**

Doc was not impressed by the decision Bravo team reached, he’d voiced his opinion and his concerns and he was told ever so politely by Ray and Trent that they were noted, but they were still going ahead. Now, he stood and looked on as they all filed into Clay’s room. He wanted to step inside himself, but Brock smiled at him, and then softly closed the door in his face. If he didn’t get the message then, he never would.

He turned and found Eric behind him, Doc grinned. “You also not welcome?”

Eric shrugged. “They need to be alone for now, I’ll go in when it’s time,” he answered cryptically.

Doc rolled his eyes, dragged one of the chairs that stood in the passage closer, and sat down. He might not be welcomed inside, but there was no way in hell he was going away. If Bravo went through with their plan, Clay was going to need him. He didn’t want Bravo team to run around looking for him if that became the case.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

Clay sobbed, his shoulders shook as he broke down. It had been a horrifying hour for them, but they went in as a team and they told Clay what they found. Clay had remained stoic through the whole thing, until Jason finally stopped talking and he’d looked up at them. He’d said only one sentence. _‘Forgive me.’_

He blamed himself for what had happened. He didn’t want anyone near him and they could understand that he didn’t want to be touched, but they were not willing to leave him alone. Sonny had moved his chair right next to Clay and refused to move.

They all had tears in their eyes. Their youngest brother had done nothing to deserve this. Sonny took a silent vow that he would make sure Ash Spenser, Parwaiz, and the sickening fuck Jansher paid for what they’d done to Clay.

He hadn’t seen any of the photos Jason told them about, something he was extremely grateful for, but he could imagine what they depicted. It seemed that Jansher not only liked to dress up as a woman (and now they understood why Clay reacted badly towards women), but he raped Clay and tortured him with different sex toys.

“You need to calm down, Kid. Take some deep breaths for me. We’re here, and we’re not letting you go. You’re safe, I promise you we won’t let anything happen to you again,” Trent attempted to calm Clay down as he took his place next to Sonny.

Sonny took Clay’s hand and pressed it against his chest. “Feel my heartbeat. Feel my breathing, mimic me. Let’s get your breathing deeper and this crazy heart rate of yours down.” The vein on the side of Clay’s neck thumped almost violently.

Sonny caught Trent’s eye, and he frowned when Trent shook his head. “He needs to calm down, he’s on the brink of passing out.”

“Hey, Clay, don’t do this, man. Ray is always on your ass on your sniper breathing, let’s show him, Kid, let’s show him you know how it’s done. Breathe in, two, three, exhale on four.” Sonny led by example as he used the same breathing technique that he had explained. Clay hiccupped, but then he took a single breath, and slowly he started to follow Sonny’s example.

“There you go, buddy, that’s it. You’re doing so well,” Sonny praised the younger man and when he gazed at his younger brother, he could see that Clay’s eyes were bloodshot and swollen, but it was the way he stared out in front of him, that bothered Sonny.

When Clay had finally calmed down enough and no longer sobbed, Sonny spoke up again. “Talk to us, Kid. We’re here for you.”

Sonny looked on as Clay closed his eyes. For a moment he wondered if Clay had fallen asleep, but then the young man in his arms spoke up, and Sonny shuddered. Clay sounded dead.

“ _He_ would appear out of nowhere. One moment he was there, the next he was gone. No one ever told me his name, or even spoke about him, it was as if he was never there.” Clay swallowed.

Sonny held Clay’s hand tighter.

“My Mast…, Parwaiz wasn’t always there. He would leave, sometimes he would be gone for what felt like years. It was during those periods that _he_ came.”

“Clay?” Sonny hated to interrupt Clay, but he had to know who this _he_ was, Clay referred to. “Who’s he? Do you know his name?”

Clay blinked once. “You called him Jansher.” Clay continued to stare out in front of him.

Sonny opened his mouth, but a hand clamped down on his shoulder and squeezed it hard. He looked up and frowned at Jason. The look in Jason’s eyes told him everything he needed to know. Clay had to get this off his chest. The sooner he did that, the sooner Clay could start healing. The sooner they all could start healing. Sonny closed his eyes and remained silent.

“He wore red high heels.” Clay rubbed at a mark in the palm of his right hand. Clay shook his head. “No.”

“Easy, we’ve got you.” Jason gripped Clay’s hand and squeezed it hard.

“He always had this wig on. Long, curly black hair and it smelt like he bathed in perfume.” Clay shivered. “He, mm, he would let them chain me against the wall or to a table.” Clay shook his head. He kept on staring out in front of him without blinking. “They always left.” Clay sobbed. “They never stayed.”

Sonny rubbed Clay’s back.

“He would force me to drink something.” Clay shook his head. “Don’t know what it was.” A blush appeared on his cheeks. “It always made me hard.”

Sonny saw the look pass between Brock, Ray, and Jason. He had a feeling they knew what Clay was about to say. He didn’t want to hear it, but he also wouldn’t let Clay go. He had his brother’s back.

“I was strapped to the table, I couldn’t get away. I tried, I always tried. I couldn’t get away. Please, I promise, I didn’t want to do it.”

“We know, Kid, we know.” Sonny found the strength to calm Clay down.

Clay’s breath caught in his chest. For a moment, he wheezed, before he took another breath of air. “I told him, no, he never listened. He would lower himself on me.” Clay shook his head. “NO.” He tried to pull away from Sonny.

“We’ve got you, I’ve got you. You’re safe.”

Clay stuttered, but he continued to talk. “There were different objects, sex toys. I begged, he didn’t listen.”

Sonny closed his eyes. He even held his breath. He didn’t think he’d be able to keep it together if Clay told them more.

“He hated me.” Clay glanced up. “He always said the same things.” Clay lowered his eyes. When he spoke up again, his voice was flat. _“I have never been so blessed than what I am right now.”_ Clay took a deep breath. _“I have never felt so alive than right now.”_ Fresh tears streamed down Clay’s cheeks. _“I have never hated anyone more than what I hate you right now.”_

Sonny couldn’t remain silent any longer. “You know we love you, Kid. You are loved. You’re the glue that holds this team together. I promise you, we will _never_ fail you again. We will never stop loving you. You are our kid brother, we are your family.”

“Family,” Clay repeated the word. The conversation left him drained, but at the same time he still felt jittery. His eyes drooped and he sagged against the mattress.

“Clay!” Sonny panicked, but a hand on his shoulder calmed him down.

“He’s all right. This tapped all of his energy.” Trent helped Sonny and between the two men, they got their youngest brother settled more comfortably back in bed.

Brock, Ray and Jason all moved away from the bed, but remained within touching distance of Clay should he need any of them.

Jason looked at Ray and when his 2IC nodded, he spoke up. “With Eric’s help I’ve arranged someone to come and talk to Clay. To all of us.”

His words brought an immediate frown on Sonny’s face. “Someone to talk to us? Jase, are you talking about a fucking shrink?” Sonny went as far as to step away from Clay’s bed. When he noticed what he’d done, he moved forward again.

Jason glared at Ray when he saw his best friend stifle a laugh. Ray had warned him that this wouldn’t go well with Sonny, but he knew he had to put it out there. “Yeah, Sonny, a shrink. Doctor…” He didn’t get to complete his sentence as Sonny interrupted him again.

“Why? He’s got us. He doesn’t need to talk to a head doctor. And I thought you didn’t believe in them? Isn’t that what you’ve always said? What the hell, Jason? It doesn’t make sense.”

Jason managed to hold on to his temper. He had been working with Sonny for almost a decade now. He should’ve known Sonny would have questions. More importantly, he should’ve known that Sonny would question him. “Sonny.”

“No, don’t you, Sonny me, Jason. We. Don’t. Talk. To. Shrinks. That’s one of the most important unspoken rules this unit has and now you want to break it? No. No.” This time Sonny moved away from the bed and paced the room.

“Quinn,” Jason snapped as he came to his feet. “Give me a fucking minute to explain, damn it.”

“Explain? You want to explain, what the fuck is there to explain, Jason?” Sonny threw his hands in the air.

A growl exploded from Jason, and he stormed forward. Before he could reach Sonny, Brock had him in a lock and moved him backward. When Jason looked over Brock’s shoulder, Trent had Sonny pinned to the wall and Ray stood between the two pairs with his arms stretched out to the side.

“Stop it, both of you,” Ray’s hissed in an attempt not to wake up Clay, the command in his voice still came through strong. He turned and faced Sonny. “You will keep your mouth shut and listen for a change. We are a team here, and your team lead has spoken.” Ray took a deep breath. “Is that understood, Senior Petty Officer Quinn?”

Sonny growled, but nodded as Trent pushed him harder into the wall.

“Use your words, officer. I asked you a question,” Ray’s voice was still clipped.

“Yes, Senior Chief.”

Ray turned to Jason. “I can’t order you, but I will say this to you. Keep to the point and keep it short. Understood?”

Jason still glared at him but he nodded. “Yes.”

“Good.” Ray lowered his arms, but stayed exactly where he was.

Jason pushed against Brock’s hold, but when Brock didn’t move, Jason relaxed. He fixed his attention on Sonny, but he made sure that the whole room knew he was talking to them all.

“After Nate, I had to talk to Doctor Kruger. I didn’t like it, and I kept on checking the time on my watch for the fifty minutes to pass.” Jason sighed. “I found myself going back to her after that. Not as often as I should have, but I’ve seen her a few times and she helped. She’s not into psychobabble. She listens. She asks difficult questions and she makes you think, but it works.” Brock moved away from Jason and Jason walked towards Sonny.

“We will be there for Clay, Sonny, but we don’t have the right tools to help him all the way. And where we all will deny it, we need the help as well. It will help Clay. It will help us. More importantly, it will help us, to help Clay. And that’s all what we want to do, brother. We want to help Clay.”

Trent removed his arm and let go of Sonny. It was Sonny turn to move away from the wall. He stepped back up to Clay’s bed. He looked on as Jason mirrored his movement and came to a halt on the other side of the bed.

“What about the fact that one of his PTSD triggers is women?”

“I’ve spoken to Doctor Kruger about it. She indicated that the moment Clay indicates that he doesn’t want her as his therapist, or starts to panic, she’ll get someone else to help, but will remain part of the team to help Clay.”

Brock cleared his throat. “I found out something that also might help.” It had taken him some time to find the information, but he’d finally got it.

“What?” Ray frowned. Brock looked unsure of himself. He moved closer to their K9 handler.

“I found out why Jansher wore the high heels and the wig.”

His statement made the team growl.

“Remember what Clay told us about the bacha bāzī?” Brock looked at his brothers.

“Yeah, boys that are abducted or sold and then dressed up as girls and feminized,” Ray responded.

“Yes.” Brock took a deep breath. “Jansher was kidnapped when he was ten years old. He was missing for three years before Parwaiz found him.”

“That’s why he had bodyguards,” Trent spoke up.

Brock nodded.

Jason shook his head. “That’s fucked up. He’s kidnapped and sold, but at the same time, his family does the same thing to other boys?” He balled his fists, he really needed to punch something hard.

“There’s more. I found information of him having sociopathic tendencies. I’m not excusing his behavior, but the trauma he experienced for three years as a child, being feminized and sexually abused, might have played a roll into his current behavior.” His words made the whole team think hard.

“He’s not identifying himself as transgender?”

“No, he’s not.” Brock looked at Trent. “He’s dressing up in a wig and high heels because of the psychological trauma he experienced as a child.”

“Can he be helped?” Ray asked concerned.

Brock shook his head. “Highly unlikely. My source has confirmed that since we’ve rescued Clay, and Jansher back in Pakistan, four bodies have been discovered. They were all from Western descent. Blond hair and blue eyes. There’s no solid lead on a suspect, but I think it’s clear. He has evolved into a killer.”

“He needs to be stopped.” Trent spoke up for the team.

Brock nodded. It had to be done.

Sonny stared at Jason for a long time before he spoke up again. “I’m not going to talk about what I see in black ink blobs or why I don’t eat my vegetables.”

Jason cracked a smile. “Brother, none of us want to talk about the deeper meaning of imaginary pictures in ink blobs, and we all know why you don’t eat your vegetables. You’re Texan. You only eat meat.” Jason grinned.

“You’ve got it in one, Brother.” Sonny looked down at his sleeping brother. “But, you’re right. We need to do this for Clay. I’ll do it.”

“We will _all_ do it,” Ray responded.

“We will,” the rest of Bravo team answered together before they took to their seats again for another night in keeping their brother safe.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Tactical Operation Center – Afghanistan: Kabul**

**2 Days later**

Eric closed his eyes as he ended the call. It seemed like the end was in sight. At least for as far as it concerned Parwaiz. Mandy had gone out with Alpha team to meet up with a source. Her source gave them valuable information on their missing scumbag. It seemed like he was traveling and en route to one of his family houses in the more remote parts of the Pamir region in the Northeastern part of Afghanistan.

A drone had been approved and was on the way. The brass already made a decision that an air strike would be the best way to make sure Parwaiz finally got what he deserved. Eric could only hope that there would be no civilians in the house when the assault took place.

“I thought it was good news,” Lisa spoke up right next to him, and Eric opened his eyes.

“It was.”

She cocked her head. “Then I don’t want to see how you look when you receive bad news.” She placed a mug next to his arm. “Drink.”

“Don’t think I can drink another cup of coffee.” He groaned. He was of the opinion that his stomach lining has been eroded because of all the coffee he had consumed.

“It’s tea.” Lisa smiled, and took a sip from her own mug.

Eric sighed in relief. He picked up the steaming mug and took a large swallow. He groaned. It tasted fantastic. He grinned. “I can’t believe that I’m willingly drinking hot tea in this weather.”

“And loving it.” Lisa smiled again. She took up a seat next to her commander. “You want to tell me what’s bothering you so much?”

Eric took another sip of his tea before he responded. “We know where Parwaiz is going. Brass made the decision that he would be taken out by an air strike. They want it over and done with.”

Lisa cringed. “What about civilians?”

“At this stage, they’re of the opinion that the end result will justify the possible loss of innocent civilians.”

Lisa’s shoulders sagged. “The team, Clay.” She shook her head. “They’re not going to like it.”

“I know.” Eric came to his feet. “Get yourself some lunch, I need to head over to the hospital.”

“You want some company?”

Eric shook his head. “Don’t think you want to be there for that shouting match.”

“I thought I could go and look in on Clay?”

Eric looked at their supply officer. Since they’d realized that Clay, for a lack of a better term, _freaked out_ , when it came to being in close proximity to women, Lisa and Mandy had both stayed away. But maybe it would be different with Davis. She and Clay had a good relationship going on before all of this happened. Finally, he nodded. “Let me send a text to Trent to tell him that you’re stopping by, and when we’re there we can hear what Clay has to say.”

Lisa smiled. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet.” Eric returned her smile as they made their way out of TOC.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Afghanistan: Kabul Province**

**Local hospital: Clay’s room**

“One more sip, Clay.” Trent hated doing this to Clay, but their younger brother needed to eat and they were still having problems with that.

“Full.” Clay turned his head away.

Trent sighed. When he saw Jason wanted to speak up, he shook his head. Now was not the time to argue with Clay. He was happy with the volume of the shake Clay drank.

“We’ve got something we need to discuss with you.” Trent lowered his hip onto Clay’s bed. He refrained from telling the young man to look at him. Since Clay told them what had happened to him, he refused to make eye contact with any of them. Trent knew it was going to take a while before Clay felt secure enough of himself to look them in the eyes again.

When he received no reply, he continued, “Blackburn sent me a text. Davis is coming over with him, and she would like to see you.”

Clay’s head snapped up. “No.” He shook his head vigorously.

“Okay, but I want to know why not?”

Clay clamped up.

“Clay. Why don’t you want to see her?” This time Trent was willing to push.

Clay didn’t answer him. He’d lowered his head again. He’d grabbed hold of the sheet across his body and his knuckles were white with pressure.

“I, we, are not judging you, Clay, but we would like to know why you don’t want to see Davis. One reason, that’s all.”

Clay shook his head again, but remained silent. His hands trembled slightly.

“Is it because you’re afraid of her?” Trent ventured an answer. Clay still reacted negatively towards women. A female nurse had wrongly entered his room the previous day, and the sight of her, made Clay panic. The fact that she had long curly black hair, didn’t help at all.

Clay shook his head. “No.” The answer might’ve been soft, but it was still strong. He didn’t see the smiles on Trent or Jason’s faces when he answered.

“You’re ashamed.”

Clay’s head snapped up. For a moment he had fire in his eyes, but then his shoulders slumped and he lowered his head.

Trent nodded. That was what he thought. Clay saw Davis, and he had a feeling that even Mandy might be included, as part of the team. Part of _his_ team. Clay didn’t want them to see him as weak, but at the moment he saw himself as being weak, as something dirty.

“They don’t see you differently, Clay.” Trent reached out, and placed his hand on Clay’s shoulder. “She sees you the same as we see you, Clay. We are extremely proud of you. You have survived, you are strong. You will find no pity in her eyes for you, but you will see love there.” Trent smiled.

“Maybe even a glint of mischief. I know she misses you. She’s been complaining about not having you with her to prank the rest of us.”

Trent mentally patted himself on the shoulder when a small grin appeared on Clay’s face. “She only wants to say, hi. I know that the moment you tell her that you can’t, she’ll leave, and she won’t be offended or hold it against you in any way.”

Clay swallowed. “What if I freak out?”

“You mean if you start to panic?”

Trent received a nod.

“Then she’ll back off and we’ll help you. Jason and I will be right here the whole time, Clay. We’re not leaving you.”

“Promise?”

“Promise,” both men answered simultaneously.

Clay took a deep breath. “Okay.”

Trent slapped him lightly on his back. “Thank you for trying, Clay.”

Clay nodded and looked on as Jason moved to the door of his room. His hands started to tremble and he fisted the sheets again.

“Deep breaths, Clay. You’re gonna be all right.” Trent squeezed his shoulder as Jason pulled the door open.

Clay looked up. Davis stood there in her uniform. As pristine as always. Her hair was tied in one pony tail, her makeup done as beautiful as ever. Her eyes were warm, and he felt himself relax. “Hi.”

“Hi,” she replied but stood exactly where she was.

Clay looked at Trent, and then at Davis. He felt okay. “You gonna stand there the whole day?” He managed to grin.

Davis returned his smile as she entered the room. She kept her pace slow as she approached his bed.

Clay was grateful for that. He looked on as she walked up to his bed. His shoulders tensed up and she came to a halt.

“Hi,” she greeted again. She took something out from her back and held it out to him.

When he saw what it was, Clay laughed. He reached out with his hand and took the book from her. “Where did you find this?”

“Sorry, you know I can’t reveal my sources.”

“Thank you.” He placed the book on the bed and gave her a genuine smile.

“I need to hug you,” Davis blurted the words out.

Clay nodded and then she was right next to him, and she hugged him hard. He sagged against her, and then he cried. He didn’t mean to, it just happened. She held him tight, and as she cried with him, he heard her whisper in his ear that she was glad he was back with them, that she missed him, and that she was proud of him. It made him cry harder, but at that moment, he didn’t care. It was what his mind and his body wanted him to do.

Trent indicated with his head towards the door and then he, with Jason in tow, left the room. They both came to a halt outside the room, and Trent closed the door softly behind him.

“It’s good?” Jason sounded nervous.

“It is good indeed.” Trent sounded relieved. “I think that between Lisa and Sonny, the Kid will recover quickly.”

“I hope so,” Jason replied. He saw their commander where he leaned against the wall.

Eric spoke up before Jason could. “Spenser all right with Davis?”

“It seems like that.”

“Good.” Blackburn stepped away from the wall. He walked over to his two men.

Jason sighed. “What’s going on?”

Eric snorted. “You can give my wife a run for her money.” He shook his head. “Brass agreed on an air strike to take Parwaiz out.”

Jason frowned, that was nothing new. It was what they agreed on. He cocked his head. “You found him,” he stated it as a fact.

Eric nodded. “Remote part of the Pamir region.”

Jason shook his head. “And they don’t give a damn about any casualties, they want to take him out.” Jason rested his hands on top of his head. It was a fine line they walked every day. “When?”

“Nightfall.” Eric looked at his watch. “That’s in approximately four hours.”

“They’re not willing to send us in?”

“No.” When Jason wanted to object, Eric continued. “The brass has had it with this target, Jason. They want to get rid of him ASAP. Harrington and I both tried to convince them. They don’t want to budge. They are willing to let you and the rest of Bravo team sit in during the live feed.”

“How certain are they that he’s indeed there?” Trent spoke up for this first time since their commander joined them.

“Mandy got the information. The drone will arrive in about the next hour for final confirmation, and from there, the air strike will be called and executed.”

For Jason, it felt like his knees gave way. He managed to hold on to the wall. He shook his head when Trent looked at him in concern. “I’m okay. Just realizing that this part of Clay’s nightmare can come to a close within the next few hours.”

“Do you want to be present during the live feed?”

Jason nodded. “Sonny and I will be there.” He looked at Trent. “We won’t tell Clay about any loss of life that’s not militant.”

“I can live with that.”

Jason nodded, and then smiled, when they heard Clay’s laugh through the closed door. It seemed that Davis’ visit had come at the right time.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Tactical Operation Center – Afghanistan: Kabul**

**Hours later**

Jason keyed in the code to the door and held it open for Sonny to enter before him. He made sure the door was properly closed behind him. The atmosphere inside the room was thick with tension. He found Mandy, Eric, and Davis around one of the tables. They were staring at a map.

With Sonny right next to him, Jason stepped closer. “What’s going on?”

Blackburn nodded, and Davis clicked the remote. A gray out-of-focus image appeared on screen. It took a few minutes for the image to clear up. Jason stepped closer when he realized what they were looking at.

“Convoy?” He counted at least three trucks.

“Seems like it.” Blackburn got to his feet. “But there’s something off about it. I’m not sure what.” He stared at the screen. “It also looks like they’ve stopped for the night. We don’t know why.”

“Mechanical problems?” Sonny pointed to one of the trucks where it looked like someone tinkered in the engine.

“Possible.” Blackburn took a closer look.

“What’s the word? What does the brass want to do now?” Jason crossed his arms. He frowned when the screen went dark.

“As you can see, we’re experiencing glitches in receiving the imagery from the drone. It’s as if something is blocking the signal. The technicians are working on the problem. However, if it’s something that they can’t fix remotely, then we’re screwed,” Blackburn explained.

“Seriously? What the fuck, how is it possible? Does this guy have a rabbit foot stuck up his ass?” Sonny threw his arms in the air. “What’s going to happen if the connection can’t be fixed?”

“Then the drone will return to the base. We’ll lose sight of Parwaiz. We will then look for him again until we find him and take him down.”

“And that could take fucking months!” Sonny exploded.

“We know, Quinn.” Blackburn was frustrated.

“From the images seen so far, any sign of any civilians present?” Jason said over his shoulder, as he continued to stare at the screen.

“None,” Lisa replied.

“Why don’t we take him out now?”

“Brass hopes to find out what’s in the trucks.”

Jason groaned. He didn’t understand why the fuck they would wonder what’s in the trucks. If it was weapons, it was going up in smoke together with Parwaiz. If it was provisions, then just too bad.

Jason cocked his head. Parwaiz wouldn’t be stupid enough to haul trucks full of weapons around, but he might haul something else around. Jason got a whiff of spices in the air and everything clicked together. “It’s drugs. He’s on a fucking drug run.”

Sonny, Blackburn, and even Davis all cursed at the same time. Blackburn picked up the SAT phone and dialed. He knew that if the brass knew what Parwaiz was transporting, they would have no problem giving the order for the air strike to go ahead. He had a huge grin on his face ten minutes later. The air strike was on. They’d calculated the interruptions, and the time loss was less than five minutes. They would time it in such a way that the air strike would happen while they still had a visual. They would then have to wait patiently for the drone to broadcast the next image. Hopefully, it would then show burning trucks.

“They want confirmation of Parwaiz being on the ground. If that can be done, then the air strike is a go,” Blackburn explained.

“Will we be able to give that to them?” Sonny asked, as he moved his toothpick from the one side of his mouth to the other with his tongue.

Lisa stared at the ground for a long time, and then she grinned. “We will.”

“How?” Jason didn’t question if it was possible, but he did question how they wanted to do it.

Lisa made her way over to a box. She stuck her arm in and retrieved what looked like a flip cell phone. A very old model to be exact.

“We couldn’t get that to work.” Sonny pointed at the phone.

“Correct, because we didn’t have the correct charger,” Lisa explained.

Jason took the phone from her hand. “You found a charger.”

He remembered the phone. It was one they’d found in Jansher’s room. But the battery was dead, and none of them had a charger that fitted the phone. They couldn’t find one on base, and in the end, they threw the phone in a box and sort of forgot about it.

“I did.” Lisa shrugged. “You know how I feel about stuff not working. I had to find out what was on the phone.” She tapped against the screen. “Only one number.” She looked at Jason. “Uncle.”

“In English?” Jason frowned.

“No, in Pashto. Had one of the interpreters verify the word for us.”

“How do we know it’s not another uncle?” Jason inquired.

“We don’t, but we don’t have anything to lose, now do we?” Lisa stared at Jason, and then at the phone in Jason’s hand.

“We gonna call him.” Jason grinned. “This needs perfect timing, but it might work. If we can get a shot of him answering the phone where the drone can take a picture of his face, we have confirmation.”

“And then we can finally blow the fuck-nut into a million little pieces,” Sonny piped up.

Blackburn reached for the SAT phone again. “This will work.” He had a feeling they were going to spend a whole lot longer in TOC, but in the end, it was going to be worth it.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Tactical Operation Center – Afghanistan: Kabul**

**4 Hours later**

They had stayed in TOC, and through the images that came from the drone, they’d seen how the group of vehicles moved in a circle. Most of the men gathered in the middle. Through the grainy imagery they’d noticed the guards were placed on the outskirts, but the rest of the group looked relaxed. Especially since more than one cooking fire was lit.

The technicians had worked their magic, and although the images were still grainy, the drone now recorded every second.

They’ve all stopped moving around. Jason stood next to the table. He held the phone in his hand. A young interpreter stood next to him. He would pretend to be Jansher. They didn’t need to keep Parwaiz on the phone for long, but they had to get him to talk long enough for the drone to pick it up and take a photo. When identity was confirmed, the air strike would take place three minutes later.

“We’re ready,” Blackburn relayed the message from the base where the drone was controlled.

Jason hit the call button, and they heard through the small speaker as the phone rang. He kept an eye on the phone and another on the screen.

A man stood up from next to the fire and approached a group of about four people. He had something in his hand. He handed it over to another man who brought it up to his ear. Their interpreter greeted him. The drone took a picture as they heard Parwaiz’ voice through the phone.

The picture came through. It was shown side by side, and it was a match. Jason and Sonny both heard the order for the air strike.

Their interpreter ended the call and they looked on as Parwaiz walked back to the fire. He didn’t look concerned. They’d made as if the connection was poor. They’d told Parwaiz that he - Jansher, was released from prison. He inquired on where he had to go. Parwaiz had told him to sit tight and ended the call.

The minutes ticked by. Then there was a flash, followed by a bang. When the image returned, bodies were strewn about. The trucks burned, and the drone zoomed in and took a final picture of Parwaiz. Parwaiz was dead. TOC erupted into cheers. They’d rid the world of a very cruel man.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

**Local hospital: Clay’s room**

**3 Days later**

“You ready, Kid?” Sonny asked, as he stood behind Clay’s wheelchair.

Clay nodded, but he had a hard grip on the armrests of the chair. He wanted nothing more than to get out of this place, but that meant he had to interact with other people, and he wasn’t sure he was up to that task.

“You do know, I expected a bit more enthusiasm from you.” Sonny moved around the chair and settled himself on Clay’s vacated hospital bed. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.”

Sonny huffed. “You want to try again, Mr. GQ? I’ve known you long enough to realize when something is eating away at you. So spill.”

Clay lowered his head.

Sonny leaned forward and gently tipped Clay’s chin, so that he could look his younger brother in the eyes. “Talk to me.”

“It’s nothing, Sonny. Leave it,” Clay snapped. He wasn’t in a mood to talk.

Sonny released his friend’s chin and moved back behind Clay. “Let’s get going.” He didn’t say a word over the fact that Clay blew him off.

Both Trent and Brock had spoken to them. Told them that interacting with Clay was going to be like riding on a roller coaster. There would be some smooth times, some bumpy times, and definitely some hell raising times. He had a feeling that this was one of those bumpy times. He wished Clay would skip the hell raising times, but he’d never been lucky like that before.

Clay was grateful that Sonny didn’t push the issue any further. He renewed the death grip he had on the armrests as Sonny pushed him out of the room and into the hallway. Clay frowned. There wasn’t another person in sight. Even the nurses’ station was empty.

They entered the elevator, and Sonny pressed the button. The trip down passed in silence. The door opened on the ground floor, and Sonny pushed Clay out.

“Stop,” Clay whispered. Except for the rest of Bravo team, the ground floor was devoid of life. “How?”

“Because we know you,” Sonny responded.

He pushed the chair out of the hospital and Clay found himself in front of what looked like a Scooby van, but in much better condition. Eric stood at the side door. Davis on his other side.

Between Eric and Sonny, they Clay settled in the van, and Davis shoved the wheelchair in at the back. Eric and Davis got into front and the rest of the guys took their seats around him.

“Let’s get going.” Eric started the van.

Sonny placed his hand on Clay’s shoulder and squeezed it hard. “We’ve got your back, brother.”

“Thank you,” Clay whispered as he lowered his head again. He managed not to squeak as he got pulled sideways. His head landed on Jason’s shoulder.

“Rest. This ride is a bit bumpy.”

Clay didn’t respond. He closed his eyes as his brothers talked among themselves. They did have his back. With that thought, he drifted off to sleep.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Base infirmary**

“You need anything?” Lisa asked, as she handed Clay his book.

Her friend had been very quiet along the way, and it wasn’t only because he napped. He was struggling with something, and like the typical stubborn SEAL that he was, he wasn’t talking about it, and instead silently brooding over whatever had him bothered.

Clay shook his head. He reached out, and placed the book on the small night stand to his right. It was only him and Lisa in the room. The rest went to the barracks to change. They had an op to run in a few hours. Their leave had come to an end two days before, and they were now back in the thick of things. It also meant that he saw less of them, and that’s when his fears intensified. He made sure that he kept his emotions under wrap, but he had a feeling he was doing a piss-poor job of it.

“Okay.” Lisa indicated to the door. “I’m heading over to TOC, but I’ll come and make a turn whenever I can.”

“I’m not a baby. You don’t need to check in on me the whole time. I can take care of myself,” Clay barked.

Lisa moved to the door where she came to a halt. “Maybe you should think of something else, Clay.” She took a deep breath. “Have you ever thought of the fact that we check up on you, because we’re scared that you might go missing again, and that seeing you, makes it okay for us to go on?” She didn’t turn back to face him, but exited the room and closed the door.

Clay remained alone. For a minute he fumed, but then he blushed. They had lost him, as he had lost them. He was not the only one to hurt in this whole thing. His team, and that included Lisa, Blackburn, and Mandy also hurt. Clay cringed. He’d been a real ass. He’d also been ignoring Mandy, something that he knew he had to address rather sooner than later.

He hadn’t seen her since the day they took them. He knew she’d seen him, but he’d either been in a coma, asleep, or drugged so he didn’t remember any of those occasions. Clay closed his eyes. His mind traveled back to that day, and he shook his head. He didn’t want to think about it.

Clay still couldn’t believe that Parwaiz was dead. Sonny had personally showed him a copy of the airstrike and the photos taken by the drone directly after that. He knew Parwaiz was dead. He’d seen the body, but Clay couldn’t help but wonder if that was indeed true. He knew he was fearful, but he couldn’t help it. If it was possible, he would’ve asked to see the body in person. But that wasn’t an option. One of the main reasons was that Clay had no idea how he would react if he saw Parwaiz again. That man had beaten him to near death. Had violated him to his core, but Parwaiz also had his tender moments. He loved to run his hands through Clay’s hair whispering to him what a good pet he was.

Clay growled. He gripped his hair and pulled hard. There was no fucking tender side to Parwaiz. The man was a monster. He raped him – repeatedly. He shared him with Matin. It was his fault that he was in this situation. It was his fault that Clay couldn’t stand being touched by someone he didn’t know. It was Parwaiz’s fault that _he_ \- Jansher violated him. It was all Parwaiz’s fault. Clay roared and he grabbed the water carafe on the table and hurled it through the air. It crashed against the wall and shattered into pieces. Clay continued to scream.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

After the mission they were supposed to go on got scrapped, Jason decided to turn in early. He had just covered himself with the sheet, when the door to the room he shared with Ray, burst open.

“What the fuck?” He had his Glock in hand, and pointed at the person. Jason lowered his weapon when he saw who it was. “Davis? What’s going on?”

“It’s Clay.”

Jason blanched. He should’ve known something would go wrong. Clay had asked for some space, and they’d agreed to it very reluctantly. They had informed Doc that none of them would be in Clay’s room for the night. He reached for his trousers and shoes at the same time. He still had his pistol in his hand.

“Don’t think that’s a good idea to bring it with.” Lisa stared at the weapon.

Jason nodded, placed it in the strong box, and locked it securely. “What happened?” He asked as they exited the room.

“Not sure. Doc came running and told me to fetch you.” Lisa tripped over her own feet. “I did hear him scream.”

“Then why the fuck did you not let me bring my weapon?” He turned back, but Lisa grabbed his arm. “He’s not in danger. Doc said he was distraught.”

“Where are the others?”

“Blackburn went to call them.”

Jason jogged toward the infirmary. As he got closer, he heard the screams. They were filled with agony. He could hear Clay’s pain, and his own heart ached. He found Doc at the entrance. Several medical personnel were gathered around him.

“We need to sedate him, he’s disturbing the other patients.” A doctor who Jason had never seen before, stood toe to toe with Doc.

“Over my dead body. You will not sedate him.” Jason had stepped right into the doctor’s personal space and stood at his back with his arms crossed over his chest.

The doctor jumped and looked over his shoulder. “Who are you?”

“Master Chief Hayes, and that man in there, is one of mine.” He ignored the doctor further and focused his attention on Doc. “What’s going on, Doc?”

Doc shook his head. “He doesn’t want anyone to enter the room, Jason.”

Jason frowned. “Did you speak to him?”

“Not really. Told me to go away and he barricaded the door. He didn’t say anything else.”

“Shit.” Jason dragged his hand over his face. His head snapped back as the same doctor from before spoke up next to him.

“We need to go in there and take charge of this situation. Where’s the MPs?”

Jason turned, and before anyone could stop him, he had the doctor pinned to the wall. “I don’t know who the hell you think you are, or where the fuck you are from, but I am telling you now for the last time, go away. You will not go near Clay. If you even try to talk to him, or to approach him, I will shoot you. Do I make myself clear? Do you understand?”

The doctor clawed at Jason’s arms. “Release me, I will have you brought up on charges.”

Jason wanted to respond, but a voice sounded at his back and he stepped away.

“You’ve got a team member who’s in distress, Master Chief. Don’t you think you’re needed there?”

“Yes, Sir.” Jason glared at the doctor one last time before he moved away.

He heard the clueless doctor speak up, but he knew General Cook would not entertain the doctor. He loved that about the man. He hadn’t even known the man was on base. Jason reached the door to Clay’s room. He could still hear Clay within. His voice sounded hoarse. Jason cringed. Clay’s throat was going to be raw.

He tried to push the door open, but it didn’t want to budge. The infirmary doors couldn’t lock, so Doc was right, Clay had barricaded the door from the inside.

Jason stood with his ear against the door. “Clay?” He received no reply.

“Clay?” Jason inquired again. He wanted to kick himself for placing Clay in a room with no window. They did it for security reasons, but now it seemed like that decision was biting them in the ass. “Talk to me, brother.”

He was answered with silence.

“Spenser? Answer me.” Jason kept his ear against the door.

“Go away.” Clay stopped screaming.

“You know I can’t do that.”

“Why? Because you’re Master Chief Hayes?”

Jason closed his eyes. “No, because you are my brother.”

“You deserve a better brother.”

Jason didn’t like the way Clay spoke those words. He reached for his phone, he needed the rest of Bravo team here. He couldn’t understand why they were taking so long to get here. Jason wanted to scream. He didn’t take his phone. He couldn’t leave Clay alone. He could only hope that the rest of the team would be there soon. “Why?”

“You know why.”

Jason shook his head, but then realized that Clay couldn’t see him. “No, I don’t.”

Clay’s voice was raspy as he laughed. Unfortunately, there was nothing happy in the way he laughed.

“Clay?” Jason pushed against the door. “Open up the door so that we can talk.”

Clay remained silent and Jason could feel the panic building up inside of him. The situation he found himself in was totally different from what they experience in the field. It unnerved him that he had no idea on how to talk to Clay. He only knew that he couldn’t lose Clay. Bravo team couldn’t lose him.

“Clay, please.” He knew he sounded desperate but he didn’t care.

Silence greeted him from the other side, and Jason slid down with his back against the door. Jason looked around. The hallway remained empty. He wished his brothers would show up. Jason strained his ears, but Clay had gone quiet and he had no idea on what he was doing. Horror images filled his mind. Jason rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. He couldn’t think of stuff like that. Clay was strong. He wouldn’t.

“Clay, answer me.” Jason rapped his fist against the door. Jason glanced up when he heard hurried footsteps. His shoulder sagged in relief when he saw who it was.

“What’s going on?” Ray hunkered down next to Jason.

“Clay barricaded himself in the room. Don’t know why,” Jason shared with the team what he knew.

“We need eyes on him.” Sonny turned and jogged away.

“Sonny!” Jason called after him. “Get my phone.”

“Roger, Boss.” Sonny didn’t slow down as he jogged down the passage and disappeared from view.

Trent knocked on the door. “Clay?” He leaned against the door in an attempt to hear something. “Clay?” he repeated.

“Go away,” Clay sounded lifeless.

“Not going to happen, brother.”

Something hard slammed against the door. Trent frowned. “What the fuck is he throwing at the door?”

Jason dragged his hand across his face. “It’s not the water pitcher. That was apparently the first thing that went.”

“Books,” Brock whispered. “It’s the only stuff he has with him. His books.”

Trent groaned. “He’s going to be angry with himself. He wouldn’t want to damage those books.”

“Talk to us, Clay. What’s going on? You know we can help you. You only need to talk to us.”

“No one can help,” the muffled reply came through the solid door.

“You can’t say that,” Jason spoke up. “Talk to us.” He looked over his shoulder as Sonny ran back towards them.

Sonny came to a halt, and with sure movements he removed the wiry-thin camera and sneaked it underneath the door. They all watched the screen together. Clay stood wobbly in the middle of the floor. The moonboot on his left foot made his gait uneven. They could clearly see how distraught he was. His whole body trembled; his shoulders shook. He wrung his hands, but then scratched at his arms. They could see the red marks from his nails clearly.

“Clay, talk to us,” Sonny tried. They watched as Clay’s knees gave way and he landed hard in the middle of the floor. They spotted the second bed in Clay’s room. It was pushed right up against the door. With the brakes on they knew it would be heavy to move.

“Clay! You all right? What fell?” Sonny managed to add the last part, he didn’t want to let Clay knew they had eyes on him.

“Nothing,” Clay’s voice was muffled. He’d curled onto his side. His back faced the door.

“Don’t we have your back, Clay?” Brock spoke up. “I, we, thought we were brothers. That you had our backs – always.”

“I do,” Clay responded from his place on the floor.

“And we have your back,” Trent stated back.

“It’s not fair.”

The team sighed. They were making progress. “What’s not fair, Clay?” Trent continued talking.

“I’m not worthy.”

Trent and the rest of the guys frowned. “Worthy of what?”

“To protect your backs.”

“Why the fuck not?” Sonny couldn’t keep quiet.

Sonny reaction made Clay snort. “You don’t see it?”

“See what, brother?”

“I’m a failure. I am broken. I am used goods.”

Sonny shook his head. “You’re a survivor. You are not broken, and you’re only a bit scuffed. Just like the rest of us.”

“It’s not the same.”

“No? Why?” Sonny pushed.

“I’ve been…” Clay stopped talking.

Sonny closed his eyes. “You’ve been raped.”

“Stop!” Clay launched himself upright.

“Why? Because you can’t say it and I can?” Sonny kept his eyes closed. He didn’t want to see the hurt he caused his younger brother. They were not supposed to push, but he knew Clay. If they didn’t push now, Clay would retreat deeper into himself.

“Yes, damn it, is that what you want to hear!” Clay screamed.

“You’re still not saying it, Clay. Get it off your chest. Say it. Tell us what you want to say. Tell us, Clay. Tell us!” Sonny own voice boomed through the empty hallway.

“I was raped, okay, I was fucking raped! I am dirty! I don’t deserve to live. I don’t deserve to be with you on the same team. I am not worthy! I hate him! I fucking wish he wasn’t dead. I would’ve killed him with my own fucking hands! I hate him!”

Sonny took a deep breath. “And despite the fact that you were raped, you are not broken. You are not dirty. You deserve to live. You are our teammate, our kid brother. We will not replace you with anyone else. You will always have our backs. We will always have yours.”

Clay sobbed.

Jason glanced up when someone came towards them. It was Eric.

“We can get into his room through a panel in the ceiling.”

“Good. Let’s do it.” Jason turned back to the door. “I’m coming in, Clay. Hold on, I’m coming to you.”

Clay continued to sob.

Jason and Eric jogged away. The rest of Bravo team continued to talk to Clay. They saw when Jason came back with a rope and watched as he disappeared into the room next door. They heard movement in the ceiling, and then Jason dropped down. They looked on through the micro sized camera lens as Jason released the brakes on the bed and pulled it away. As they came to their feet to enter the room, they saw Jason hunker down next to Clay and pull Clay to his chest. That was how they found their two teammates in the room seconds later.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

The team stood around Clay’s bed and gazed down at the sleeping man. The dark circles underneath his eyes that had disappeared a few days ago were back. His skin was a pasty color and his breathing uneven. Doc had sedated him. The kid hadn’t even tried to fight when Doc produced the syringe and injected him. He’d only closed his eyes, and as the drug filled his body, he slumped against Jason until he finally slept. Jason had picked him up, and placed him back on the bed. The rest of the team had cleaned up Clay’s room.

“When will Doctor Kruger arrive?” Trent looked over Doc’s shoulder as the physician made notes on Clay’s chart.

“She’s not,” Doc answered before anyone else could speak up.

Jason growled. “Why the fuck not?”

Doc lowered the chart. “This is not the way I wanted to tell you, but.” He shrugged. “The next flight back home is tomorrow afternoon. All of you, including Clay will be on that flight.”

The team was speechless.

Sonny grinned. “You’re sending Clay home? We’re going home?”

“Yes.”

They turned at the new voice.

“General Cook.” Jason reached out and shook the man’s hand first. The rest of the team followed suit. “I wondered why you were on base.”

Cook observed the team. “I was sent to debrief Petty Officer Spenser. I had long conversations with both your team doctor and with Blackburn. Both of them agreed. Debriefing Spenser here is not going to work. It would be best for him to get back home. For all of you to get back home.”

“What about his safety? Sir.”

Cook cocked his head. “Are you saying, Quinn, that the moment you and the team gets back on home soil you’re going to abandon your post in protecting your teammate?”

“No, Sir. Never.” Sonny frowned.

“And that’s what I thought. That’s what the rest of the higher-ups don’t understand. You are a real family. To separate you from one another is not going to help. It would to be more detrimental than good. Since we got our mole, and all of you will be on base, I am of the opinion that Spenser will be safe there until we find Ash Spenser.” Cook’s face took on a murderous look. “That bastard must pray that he dies before I get my hands on him.” He shook his head. “Flight leaves tomorrow at 1500. Don’t be late.” Without a further word, he exited the room and left a stunned Bravo team behind.

“Will he be all right to fly, Doc?” Jason inquired. He still gripped Clay’s hand hard.

“This setback is not ideal, but it won’t impact negatively on him flying back.” Doc smiled at the team. “I know you’re all shocked at what happened here, but it’s a good thing. It might not look like it, but Clay is working through his emotions, and with all of you there for him, he will get through this.”

“What about what he said?” Brock asked. Cerberus whined next to him, and he stood to the side. Their four-legged team member jumped over the railing of the bed and made himself comfortable next to Clay.

“About not deserving to live?”

“Yes.”

Doc stared at the team. “I know Clay well enough not to take that, or even interpreting that, as him wanting to commit suicide. I do take it as him being frustrated, angry, fed up with everything, scared and confused. He is depressed, and that is something we will work on, especially with Doctor Kruger, but I don’t perceive him as suicidal.” He could see the relief in all of their eyes.

“You said you wouldn’t let him fly if he’s not eating properly.” Ray leaned against the wall.

“Correct, but he’s trying and I’ll take that as a win.” Doc smiled. “Get some sleep. Tomorrow we’re going home.” He handed Clay’s file to Trent and then turned to leave.

“Thanks, Doc,” Jason spoke up, and the rest of the team added their gratitude as well.

Doc nodded, and then exited. Bravo team kept him on his toes. They were responsible for every single gray hair on his head, but he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else then right there beside them.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

**Joint Expeditionary Base–Little Creek**

**Infirmary: 36 Hours later**

“You had enough?” Trent indicated the tray with food in front of Clay.

“Thanks.” Clay pushed it away from him. His eyes closed. The flight here had been hell on his body, and he struggled to do anything except sleep.

Trent didn’t respond. He looked at the plate, and sighed silently. Clay had barely touched his food. He made a mental note to talk to Doc. Maybe they should try the shakes again. Clay couldn’t afford to lose any more weight.

He placed the tray to the side and took his seat. He was on guard duty inside Clay’s room, together with Brock. His friend had vacated the room for a minute or two to raid the well-stocked vending machine. Sonny and Ray were on duty right in front of Clay’s room. Jason was with Blackburn in TOC. He would be on the next shift together with Alpha team.

Trent had just sat down when movement from the bed made him look up. “You okay?” He came to his feet.

Clay nodded.

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you.” Clay closed his eyes again.

“Clay,” Trent spoke softly. “Look at me.” He waited for Clay to open his eyes. “You are not a bother. And I can promise you, not one of us will ever grow tired saying that to you. We will continue to say it until you believe it.” He squeezed Clay’s shoulder. “What can I do for you?”

“Talk to me. Please.” Clay lowered his eyes. “I know it sounds stupid, but I’m so tired of sleeping even when I know I can’t keep my eyes open. I want to do something else except sleep.”

Trent smiled. “Your body has been through hell, and that flight didn’t help.” He shuddered as he thought about their harrowing flight. A storm cell developed en route and it was too large to fly around it so the C-17 went through it. It was an experience Trent didn’t wish on anybody.

Clay managed to smile. “My bruises have bruises.”

“Man, my ass is still tender.” Trent absentmindedly rubbed his backside.

His action made Clay laugh out loud. It sounded wonderful to Trent’s ears.

“May I ask you something?”

“Anything, Kid.” Trent lowered himself back in his chair. He watched as Clay fiddled with the blanket. It was a clear sign he was nervous. For a moment he wondered if he should push, but then Clay spoke up again.

“Ash.” He shifted in his bed.

“What about him?” Of all the things Clay could’ve picked, this was the one conversation he would never have picked.

“You were in Green team when he was still in the old team six.”

“True.”

“Did you ever work with him?”

Trent nodded. “Not in any official missions, but in training exercises.”

“What did you think about him?”

“Nothing much. He was just another Tier one operator that put us through our paces. I can’t think of any occasion where we spoke to one another.”

“Did he act weird?”

Trent frowned at the question, and then he sighed. “Clay.” Trent shook his head. “Ash isn’t suffering from any mental condition. Don’t try and think of possible excuses for why he did what he did.”

“I don’t understand.” Clay swallowed. “Just after I stared dating Stella, we went to a book reading. It was his book. Two days later, I met up with him again. We got in a fight. He asked me if he was such a bad father, why was I following in his footsteps? Why did I become a SEAL?” Clay took a deep breath. “I told him I wasn’t following in his footsteps, I was erasing them.”

“What was Ash’s reaction?”

“I walked away. He did call me back, but I ignored him.”

“You think you pissed him off, and that he’s trying to get you back for that remark?”

“Maybe.” Clay shrugged.

Trent thought about it. If that was indeed the case, then Ash Spenser was more fucked up than they’d all thought. “Have you ever perceived him as being vindictive?”

“It’s difficult to say. Up until I went to my maternal grandparents, we had an okay relationship, I would say. He was fairly absent. And then when I moved to Liberia, we didn’t see much of one another at all. I only came back when I was sixteen.”

Trent nodded. What Clay told him confirmed what Jason had found out. Trent took the plunge. “Has he ever assaulted you?”

“I deserved it.”

Trent’s eyebrow arched. “Are you making excuses for him, Clay?”

Clay didn’t meet his eye. “I was a teenager.”

Trent balled his fists. He added one more reason to his list of why Ash Spenser didn’t deserve to see another day. “When was the last time?”

“The day before I joined the Navy.” Clay’s hand traveled up to his shoulder.

Trent cocked his head. He’d seen the faded scar on Clay’s collar bone, and was always under the impression that it was an injury Clay had sustained out in the field. It seemed he was mistaken. “What did he do?”

Clay shook his head. “He came back from a difficult mission. I bothered him. He had a bottle in his hand.”

“He threw a glass bottle at you?” Trent struggled to keep his anger contained.

“He didn’t mean to hit me.” Clay looked up. “He apologized.”

Trent shook his head. Clay’s daddy issues went deeper than what they ever could’ve suspected. Trent wanted to push further, but decided against it. He would make sure to talk to Clay about this again. “I don’t want to upset you, but believe me when I tell you, Clay, no person, no father, has the right to throw anything at you out of anger, especially a glass bottle. It doesn’t make it right if they apologize. It stays assault.”

Clay shook his head. He shouldn’t have brought it up. “You weren’t there.”

“Tell me this. You’re saying you were a teenager. That he didn’t mean to assault you, that he apologized. But, what about what he’s done to you now, Clay? Did you deserve that? Did you deserve being kidnapped, tortured, and raped? What about the fact that he had the balls to come to Parwaiz’s compound while you were there and he didn’t lift a finger to help you? You think you deserved that?”

Clay remained silent, and Trent feared he might’ve pushed Clay too far. But Clay needed to realize that he didn’t do anything wrong here. That Ash was fucked up. That he had no right to treat anyone, more especially, his only son in the way he’d treated Clay. When Clay refused to meet his eye, Trent decided to let it go, for now in any case.

“Get some sleep. I’ll keep watch.”

He was grateful when Clay closed his eyes. Within minutes, Clay’s breathing evened out and his little brother was asleep. Only then did Trent let go of his emotions. He grabbed a pillow from where it lay at the bottom of Clay’s bed and squashed it against his face. He screamed. If Ash Spenser stood in front of him right at that moment, Trent would’ve killed him without blinking.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Infirmary: Following afternoon**

If looks could kill, there’d be more than one dead cake eater. Jason stood by Clay’s side and held the emesis basin as the kid continued to hurl. They were back in Clay’s room after a marathon session of almost six hours of debrief. None of them were allowed in the room, except for Blackburn and Captain Harrington. Jason had remained outside in the passage the whole time. The rest of Bravo team was ordered by Blackburn to get some rest. It was their commander who brought things to a halt.

When he’d open the door to the secure room, Jason hadn’t even hesitated for one second to enter. Especially when he’d heard Clay heaving. He hadn’t even asked for permission, just pushed Clay back in his wheelchair and pushed him out of the building and brought him straight to his room. They had stopped twice for Clay to be ill along the way. At this stage, he was only dry heaving, but it didn’t stop. He was waiting for Doc to come and do something. But if Doc decided to take any longer, he might shoot him as well.

“Easy, Kid. You’re all right. Just breathe through it.” He rubbed Clay’s back and wished there was more he could do. The door opened at his back, and without losing the hold he had on the emesis basin, he pointed his Glock at the person who entered the room.

“What happened?” Trent didn’t even glance at the weapon, just made his way over to them.

“They kept him in there for six hours, Trent. Six fucking hours.” Jason fumed.

“Are they fucking crazy? What the fuck? Why didn’t Blackburn or Harrington stop them? Do they not realize what he went through?” Trent took Clay’s wrist and checked his pulse. “How long has he been dry heaving like this?”

“About the last two minutes.” Jason took a guess.

“Okay.” Trent placed his hand on Clay’s back. He frowned at the trembles he felt. “Take some deep breaths for me. Let’s get this heaving of yours under control.” Trent helped Clay to stand tall and turned him so that Clay faced him. “Keep on looking at my face. Nowhere else.” He waited until Clay focused on him.

“Good, now take some deep breaths for me. In through your mouth, out through your nose. Follow my lead. Keep looking at me.” Trent continued to coach Clay until he no longer wanted to hurl. He still trembled and was as white as a sheet.

“Let’s get you back in bed.” He guided Clay to his bed and pressed down on his shoulder so that he sat down. Trent and Jason then lifted Clay’s legs on the bed and Trent quickly removed the moonboot from his left leg. He grimaced. Clay’s leg was severely swollen. He would bring it to Doc’s attention. An x-ray or two wouldn’t do any harm.

Clay had closed his eyes when his head hit the pillow, but when Trent removed his hand, his eyes snapped open. For a moment, he looked panicked.

“Easy. We’re here. We’re not going anywhere.” Jason had seen Clay’s reaction. “We’ve got you.”

Clay managed to nod. He took another deep breath. “Do you believe me?” He closed his eyes as he became afraid of seeing their lips move. Hearing that they did not.

“What are you talking about, Clay?” Jason looked murderous.

“I had nothing to do with it.” Clay opened his eyes and looked at them pleadingly. “I promise. I did not.”

“Wait.” Jason held up his hand. “What did they accuse you of?”

Clay shook his head. “Not straight out accused. But insinuated. Kept on asking questions. Over and over again. The same questions.” He balled his fists. “I didn’t know them. I didn’t go with them willingly. I didn’t stay there willingly. I did try to escape, I promise. I didn’t know they drugged me. I didn’t ask to be raped.” He sobbed. “I promise, I didn’t. I only wanted to come back home. I promise. I promise.” His shoulders shook as he continued to sob.

“I will fucking kill them all!” Jason roared as Trent pulled Clay to his chest. Their rookie grabbed Trent’s shirt and held on for dear life. “And where the hell is Doc?” He laced his fingers behind his head and fumed.

“I’m here,” Doc spoke up behind him.

“Where the hell have you been?” Jason couldn’t help but to hurl the question to Doc even as the man made his way over to Clay’s side.

“Answering questions. And I’m in no mood to answer more. I’m going to check on my patient now if that’s all right with you, Master Chief?” The expression on Doc’s face said it all.

Jason nodded wordlessly. It seemed like there was something else going on here that they didn’t know about. He would get to the bottom of it. Jason watched as Trent and Doc examined Clay. When their rookie didn’t object to a sedative, Jason looked around for a sniper’s weapon to take out a few heads. He waited patiently until Trent stepped away from the bed to move closer again.

“I’ll arrange for Clay to be taken for x-rays in a few hours.” Doc glanced up as Jason approached them.

“I don’t know if I can call it a debriefing, but let’s go with that. When were you informed about it?”

Doc’s shoulders slumped. “Just after you left with Clay, I was called in.” Doc explained to them who sat on the inquiry. He sneered. “They wanted to know if any of Clay’s injuries were self-inflicted. If it was possible for him not to know that he was drugged.” Doc shook his head. “I lost it at the end. I don’t think I’ll be a Navy doctor for much longer.”

“What the fuck!” Trent exploded. He toned it down when Clay whimpered in his sleep. “Jason? What the fuck?” he hissed the words.

Jason growled and stormed the door. He’d trusted Blackburn, Harrington, and General Cook. One of the three, even all three of them, thought him to be a fool. He would not stand for it. It was time he got answers. As he reached the door, it swung open.

Jason didn’t hesitate. He pulled back his fist and landed the blow. Hands grabbed him and pulled him off before he could swing again. Brock and Sonny pinned him to the wall.

Eric held his nose as blood seeped through his fingers. He flinched when a hand touched him. He relaxed when he saw it was Doc. “You better have a fucking excellent explanation on why you assaulted your commanding officer, Master Chief.” His nose throbbed.

Brock used his hand to close Jason’s mouth, and Ray, who stood at Eric’s back quickly spoke up. “You were mistaken as a possible threat to Petty Officer Spenser. You did enter without knocking.”

Jason tried to dislodge Brock’s hand, but between Brock and Sonny, they held him tight.

Eric glared at Jason and then at the rest of Bravo team. Brock and Sonny appeared confused. Trent and Jason looked murderous, but so did Doc. He couldn’t see Ray, but since the Bravo’s 2IC was with him, he knew Ray had no idea why Jason sucker punched him.

He finally nodded. “I understand.” He didn’t offer an apology. That Jason had to do. But then hell had to freeze over, so he didn’t hold his breath. He stepped deeper into the room when Doc let go of his face. “Is it broken?” He resisted the urge to touch it.

Doc shook his head. “No, but we should get you some ice for the swelling. The bleeding has already stopped.”

Eric nodded. He could hear Brock and Sonny as they tried to whisper to Jason. He was aware that Ray had moved to them as well. They were talking softly enough not for him to catch the words. It became quiet behind him, and when he turned, all four expressions looked pissed off. “Okay. What the hell is going on?”

“You tell us.” Brock had removed his hand from Jason’s mouth.

“Watch your tone, Master Chief.” Eric was also pissed. Jason had an explosive temper, but never before had he struck out and assaulted a senior officer.

Jason sort of ignored him, but when he spoke up, his voice was no longer outright hostile. “Doc was pulled into a debriefing session at the same time Clay’s session took place.”

Eric shrugged. He had no idea that the medical branch would do something like that. “And?” He finally asked when no further information was shared.

“Are you saying you didn’t know?” Doc asked the question.

Eric looked perplexed. “Just why would you assume I would know? I’m not a medical officer. I don’t know how things work on your side.”

“They kept him for six hours. Does that sound familiar?” Jason tried to step away from the wall, but Sonny pushed him back again.

“Let me go, Sonny.” Jason tried not to roll his eyes when he saw Sonny first looking at Ray before he released him. He made his way back over to Clay’s bed. At least the kid was still asleep.

Eric became aware of the fact that his mouth hung open, and he closed it with a snap. “What?” He frowned and stared at Doc and then at Jason. “You thought I knew about this.” Eric shook his head. “I did not.”

“Then either Harrington or Cook did. I want to know who it was, and why the hell was it done? I thought Cook had our backs? But this? This isn’t having our backs, Blackburn. I will not rest until I found out what the fuck this was about.” Jason kept his voice low as they all gathered around Clay’s bed.

Eric raised his hand. “You need to let me handle this, Jason.” He shook his head as Jason wanted to object. “I tried in that debriefing to get them to back down, more than once. In the end, I was told to shut up or leave. I decided to stay. They only listened to me when Clay nearly collapsed where he was seated. They finally stopped when he got ill.”

“Where was Harrington, Cook?”

“Jason.” Eric shook his head. “Captain Harrington was right next to me. He was as upset as myself. He got the same instructions. The General wasn’t there. No reason was given as to why.”

Jason cocked his head. The room quieted down. None of them uttered the word, but they all thought the same thing. Did the General have something to do with this? And if that was the case, then what was his end game?

“Is the General playing us?” Brock dared to ask the question out loud.

Jason shrugged, but Eric was the one who spoke up. “No. General Cook is invested in this team. I can’t think of one occasion where he didn’t step up to the plate and have your backs. There’s something else going on.” He stared at Jason. “And even though I know how much we want to go off halfcocked, I would suggest that we remain level headed and wait. Let’s see if he comes to us, or contact us to explain what’s going on.”

“I don’t like it.” Jason glared at Eric.

“I don’t either.” Eric glared back. “But it’s the best we can do at the moment, Jason, and you know that.”

“I know.” He glanced at his brothers, and at their youngest who slept between them. “Are they done with him? Or was this only the beginning?”

“They are done. We have been ordered to stand down, but to remain on base until further notice.” Eric waited for the objections he knew would come. He frowned when no one complained.

Ray grinned. “We are not going to leave Clay here alone, Eric. Our families understand. At this stage, Clay’s safety comes first.”

Eric tilted his head in acknowledgement. He understood. “You all need to get some rest. I’ve said it before and I don’t mind repeating it again. Take care of yourselves. Spenser will not be able to depend on you if you’re all run into the ground.” He touched his nose. It still throbbed. “Gonna get some ice for this. I’ll be back later on.” He nodded to the men and left.

The door closed behind Eric and Sonny spoke up. “Do we believe him?”

“You don’t?” Jason asked back.

“I do. I’m making sure we all do,” Sonny responded, and the rest of the team, Doc included, nodded.

Jason looked at his men. “It doesn’t matter which of the brass comes in here, we do not leave Clay alone. Not with any of them.”

“Cook included?”

“Yes. General Cook included.” Jason made a shooing motion with his hand. “Go, get some rest. Ray and I will stay with the Kid.” The rest grumbled, but eventually they all moved out. When it was only him and Ray left, Jason closed his eyes. “Someone is playing a very dangerous game here, Ray. I am not sure who, but it seems like they’re trying to use Clay as their pawn. I will not tolerate that.”

“I understand what you’re saying, Jase, and I agree, but what are you getting at? Are you planning on doing something stupid?”

Jason shrugged. “It all depends on how you look at it, Ray.” He opened his eyes. “You’ll make a great team leader, Ray.”

“What the fuck?” Ray frowned. “Just what are you planning, Jason? It’s as if you’re making your last will and testament.”

Jason snorted. “I will not hesitate to bump heads together to project the Kid, Ray. If I get kicked out, you need to take over the team. That’s all.”

Ray shook his head. “Then it will be on my shoulders to make sure you don’t get kicked out.” He closed his own eyes as he leaned back in his chair. “This team is only complete with you at the helm, Jason. Don’t you ever forget it.”

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Joint Expeditionary Base–Little Creek**

**Clay’s room: 1 Day later**

Doctor Julie Kruger smiled as the last of the large SEALs exited the room and finally left her alone with her patient. They were very reluctant to leave, but left when Clay indicated to them that he was okay. They still appeared skeptical, but at least they had left. In the few minutes she’d spent with the team, she had come to realize how protective they were towards their youngest team member. Their _brother_. They made sure she knew they all saw him as family. And she did see it.

Currently the twenty-eight-year-old Clay Spenser stared at her and she realized something. Spenser was extremely young. Yes, he was almost thirty, but she couln’t think of any other Tier One Operative that she ever worked with that was younger than thirty-five. He was the youngest Tier One Operator in the history of the SEALs. What was of more importance was the fact that he didn’t become an elite SEAL due to nepotism. He did it through hard work and determination. She’d never had anything to do with his father, but she had been in the business long enough to have heard the rumors surrounding the man.

Spenser had the right to feel proud of himself. She knew he would disagree. “You will inform me the moment my presence causes you any distress.” Julie had a feeling that she needed to stress the importance of this, once again. Hayes, as well as the team doctor, had both told her, warned her, of the adverse effect strange women had on him. She had dressed with care. She had on flat shoes, her hair was tied into a single ponytail and she had dressed in a simple, but still elegant, pants and blouse. She wore no perfume.

Spenser had tensed up the moment she came into the room, but had relaxed when both Hayes and Doc shook hands with her. He had continued to watch her the whole time.

“Clay, you understand?” she asked when she received no response from him. He was introduced to her as Clay and she knew that calling him Mister Spenser would not go down well.

She nodded when he nodded at her.

“Good.” She leaned back in her chair, her hands rested in her lap, but she kept her posture open and relaxed.

“He isn’t even a woman,” Clay spoke up suddenly.

Julie cocked her head. It appeared she had already misjudged this quiet young man. She wouldn’t have pegged him as someone who would talk to a psychologist so freely. She was under the impression that they would take it slow the first session or two. It seemed Clay Spenser had other ideas.

“You’re right, he isn’t.” She chose her next words carefully, and when Clay responded they started their first session. It was going to be intense. She knew Clay would be drained after this. Julie wasn’t worried. She knew that his team, his brothers were right outside. They would take care of him.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Captain Harrington’s Office**

**2 Days later**

Both Jason and Ray stood at parade’s rest in front of Harrington’s desk. The captain stood behind the desk to the side, with Eric at their backs. General Cook occupied Harrington’s chair.

“I thought you had the kid’s back?” Jason grunted when Ray’s elbow poked him in the ribs. “Sir.” He didn’t stop glaring.

Harrington looked over to his Lieutenant Commander and managed to not smile as the man rolled his eyes. He was lucky that he stood at such an angle that Cook couldn’t see his face. He turned his attention to Bravo’s team lead and 2IC. Two of _the_ best SEALs he’d ever seen. They were both pissed. The only difference was that Perry hid it well, while Hayes didn’t give a damn.

Harrington focused on the General. He’d known Cook for a number of years. The man hadn’t been a SEAL, but he had climbed through the ranks of the Navy steadily without making waves. He was a respected man and one true to his word.

“And why do you think I don’t have Petty Officer Spenser’s back, Master Chief Hayes.” Cook leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk.

“If you did, Sir, he wouldn’t have been _interrogated_ for six hours.” He got another elbow to the side, and a harsh whisper in this ear from Blackburn. Jason stood by what he said.

Cook slowly rose to his feet and walked around the desk. He came to a halt right in front of Hayes. He was aware that both Perry and Blackburn had tensed up. Hayes, on the other hand remained relaxed.

“You do realize, Master Chief, that I do not need to explain myself to you? I do not need to tell you what I do when I do it. You report to me, not the other way around. I did what I had to do. You might not have liked it, but that is tough luck. I do not give a damn.”

“You left him for the wolves.”

“Hayes,” both Harrington and Blackburn called out simultaneously.

Cook looked over his shoulder at Harrington, and shook his head. He turned back to Hayes. “Yes, yes, I did. And after six grueling hours, they’d reached a decision. A decision that would’ve taken them days to reach if I was there, or if I did the debriefing alone as initially planned. They are satisfied that Petty Officer Spenser had nothing to do with his abduction. That none of his actions endangered the Unites States of America. That he did not disclose any secret information and that he handled himself in the way any true SEAL would do.”

Cook saw the flash of relief in Hayes’ eyes before the emotion disappeared. “I did it so that they could not say I influenced them in any way or manner. It was a necessary evil, but one I would do again if I had to.”

“And Doc, was that also part of your plan?”

“You are overstepping, Hayes, but I am in a good mood. Once again, yes. It was the only way I could get them to listen. It worked. You can also tell your team doctor that he still has a job. Any doctor who can fight so fiercely for a patient like he did deserves to be employed as a Navy doctor.”

“You are worried about Ash Spenser.”

The general managed not to roll his eyes. He shook his head. “No. Not anymore. The fact that the inquiry reached a decision within an hour after Spenser left told me that they are not involved in any way or manner with Ash Spenser.”

Jason was relieved to hear that, although he was still pissed at Cook.

Cook was about to speak up, but a knock at the door made him turn. “Enter,” he ordered, even if it wasn’t his office. The door opened and Amanda Ellis stepped inside. He respected the woman. She had a good reputation in the world of the spooks.

Amanda nodded to the men. Cook watched on as she turned and faced Hayes. He made a mental note of this. It seems that even the CIA knew exactly who ran this show.

“We have a possible location on Ash Spenser.”

Jason’s whole posture changed. Where he was relaxed only a few seconds ago, he was now as tensed as a coiled snake. “How, where?”

Mandy indicated over her shoulder. “All set up in the team room.” She smiled.

Jason returned her smile. “Let me get the team and arrange Alpha team for Spenser.” He walked over to the door and stepped outside. Not once did he look back or asked to be dismissed.

Ray bowed his head. Harrington sighed, and when Cook caught Blackburn’s gaze, the man merely shrugged. “Well, let’s get going to the team room.” Cook led the way. He had to wonder how he’d be able to get Hayes to stay on in the Navy when his days as a SEAL were over. He would be one hell of a force to be reckoned with. The other cake eaters wouldn’t have a clue what hit them if he thundered through a room.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

The whole of Bravo team, support included, crammed into the team’s room. Two of them stood guard on the outside. No one would enter.

Jason took his seat between Ray and Sonny. Their Texan had a scowl on his face. “What’s going on?”

Sonny shook his head.

“I don’t have time for this, Sonny. What’s going on?” Jason repeated his question.

“Kid is not doing well.”

“What?” Jason sounded concerned. “Did you tell Doc?”

Sonny shook his head. “Mentally. Not physically.”

Jason squeezed Sonny’s arm. “He’ll get there. We’ve got his back.”

Sonny wanted to respond, but Mandy walked through from the back and came to a halt in front of them. “We have finally not only found enough information on Ash Spenser’s doings and dealings, but we have a possible location. The reason why it’s still only a possible location is because we’re still waiting for our eye in the sky to get in place to confirm his presence.”

“Is he in the States?” Sonny leaned on his arms.

“No.”

Sonny smiled. “Fantastic.” It meant that they were the ones who would go after him. If he was on home soil, NCIS would’ve had point.

“Where is he?” Jason tapped his fingers on the table. Cerberus appeared next to him, and he placed his hand on the dog’s head. He didn’t think the dog would be here, but it seemed that even he knew it was important to attend this meeting.

“In the one place no one would’ve ever thought of looking for him.” Mandy clicked the remote and a map filled the screen.

“Liberia? He’s in fucking Liberia!” Sonny jumped to his feet.

“Clay’s maternal grandparents made Clay their only heir. I don’t think he knows about that.”

“Ash,” Sonny hissed.

“Yes. Ash. Clay was still a minor when his grandparents’ last will and testament was finalized. It seemed like Ash got his hand on their will and changed it. It was an excellent forgery.”

“Weren’t they missionaries? What could they have had that was so worthwhile for Ash to be interested in?” Ray posed the question.

“Land, quite a sizable portion of land to be exact.” Mandy clicked and showed them different images of documents and what appeared to be a fairly large compound.

“And, he built himself a nice fortress where he laid low and conducted all of his shady deals. No one was ever the wiser.” Ray sighed.

“Indeed.”

“How did you find this?” Jason pointed to the screen.

“Our third-class petty officer shared the information with us,” Mandy replied.

“What deal did you have to make with her?”

Mandy shrugged at Jason’s question. “No deal really.” She smiled.

“What does that mean?”

“She was under the impression that we were going to let her get the electric chair.” Mandy smiled. “We did nothing to deny that. In the end, we promised her life imprisonment, no parole.”

“Smart.” Brock nodded.

Jason had to agree. “When will we have eyes in the sky?”

“Within the next ten minutes.” Mandy clicked the remote to the second screen.

The imagery came into focus as the drone flew over what appeared to be some dense forest area. Mandy clicked the remote to the first screen and a blueprint appeared. “Paper copy will be available soon.” She knew Bravo team loved working with the real thing. This was for the interim.

She made her way to the first screen and pointed to the map. “Single story building. Not large in size, but heavily fortified.”

She started highlighting all of the specs that Ash’s house had built in. As she went on, Bravo team split their attention between the blueprints and the drone. By the time the building came into sight, they had a possible plan for entry. Now, they only had to get eyes on their target.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

**Joint Expeditionary Base–Little Creek**

**1 Week later**

“I am proud of you, brother.” Brian swung his arm around Clay’s shoulders and hugged him hard.

Clay grinned. “It’s been a while. I thought you’d abandoned me.”

Brian shook his head. “Never, Clay. Never.” He sat down on the sandy beach and dragged Clay down next to him. Both of them stared out at the water.

“You know what my fath... Ash did.” Clay turned and looked at his best friend.

“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry.” Brian bowed his head.

“They went after him.”

“You’re still angry over the fact that they didn’t take you with.”

Clay snorted. “Wouldn’t you be?”

Brian nodded. “But I also understand.”

Clay frowned. “Now I don’t understand.”

“You’re still healing, Clay.”

“You’re saying I’m too weak.”

“No.” Brian shook his head. “You’re not weak, but you’re not in any condition to go on that mission.”

“I am.” Clay was stubborn.

Brian smiled. It was because of Clay’s stubbornness that he got where he was right now. He didn’t know how to give in. Brian tried another tactic. “You’ve come to know a lot about family.”

Clay looked at him. “You mean since Adam told me I would learn that my team is my family?”

“Yes. Since then. And now. After all of this.”

Clay nodded. Adam had taken over guarding duties from Bravo team since they and Alpha team had flown out to go round Ash up. It had been a while since he last saw Master Chief Seaver. His mentor and the Green Team’s Master Chief had played a huge role in Clay’s quest to become a DEVGRU team member. The first time he’d seen Adam, things had been a little stiff. It was not Adam’s fault, but rather Clay’s. That was until Adam had pulled him to his chest and told him that he was glad to see him alive.

The past few days they’d spent many hours together, catching up, and Clay had even helped with the reviews on some of the new Green team guys. He had also found that he could talk to Adam about stuff that he still struggled to talk to Bravo team with. For a moment, he wondered if that was unfair to them, but then realized it wasn’t. It was what he needed.

“And as family, they worry. They would worry about you, Clay. Instead of focusing on their mission, they would worry if you’re all right. If you’re hurting, if you’re getting enough sleep. If the pace they’re going at isn’t too strenuous for you. And that’s even before you’ve reached target.” Brian shook his head. “That would’ve been unfair to them, Clay. They hated leaving you behind. You know that. But it was the only thing they could do. Don’t be angry at them. They did it because you are their kid brother.”

Clay bowed his head. He knew all of what Brian said was true. Hell, Adam’s words had been the same. It still sucked not being with them, that was all.

Brian looked with fondness at his best friend. He would’ve loved to have Clay’s back in the real world, but with Bravo team surrounding Clay, his brother would be safe. Except for one last obstacle he had to overcome. “Hey, do you know where your Glock is?”

Clay frowned. “Yeah. I always do.”

“Is it loaded?”

“That’s a silly question.”

“How do you know?”

“I loaded it myself.”

“Show me it’s loaded.” His voice turned. Urgency filled it.

Clay frowned. “What? You’re not making sense. Of course it’s loaded.”

“Clay, show me.” He shook Clay’s shoulders.

“Shit,” Clay hissed. It burned where Brian touched him. “Let go.”

“Show me, Clay. Show me that it’s loaded.” Brian shook his friend again.

Clay squirmed. His shoulders were on fire. He tried to move out of Brian’s grip, but he couldn’t. “Let go, Brian. You’re hurting me. Let go.” He tried to twist his body to get away. Managed to land on his side. Sea water rushed over his body. He hissed as it made contact with his skin. His whole body was on fire.

“Show me, Clay. Show me! Shoot, Clay. Pull the trigger, shoot!” Brian screamed and yelled as he dragged Clay to his feet. “Shoot!”

Clay stumbled to his feet. He was no longer on the beach. His weapon was in his hand.

“Shoot!”

He fired the shot. Brian disappeared. Silence erupted into chaos.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Liberia: Nimba County**

“Bravo one to TOC, how copy?” Jason keyed his comms as he waited for a reply.

_“Bravo one, this it TOC. Good copy. What’s your status?”_

“Just passed checkpoint, Stockton,” Jason reported. The checkpoint names for this mission were all African-American missionaries.

_“Roger that, Bravo one. Checkpoint Betsey Stockton marked off. Proceed with caution.”_

Jason indicated for his team to move forward. By marking off the first checkpoint, they’d cleared the first line of defense Ash had erected around his compound. They had another two klicks to go before they’d reach the compound itself.

The team, together with Alpha, moved silently. They had comms in their ears with Davis, and she informed them of any movement. They took out several men without the alarm being raised.

Jason brought them to a halt as they reached the wall to the compound. From the intel they gathered, it was a two-thousand-pound solid reinforced-steel door. They were taking it out with a breaching charge.

The charge went off without a hitch, and the two teams filed in. This time they did attract fire, but their aims were spot on and they took down every single soldier who pointed a weapon in their direction. They moved up to the house.

“Passed checkpoint Liele,” Jason reported, as Bravo team entered the house. Their eyes in the sky reported three life signatures in the house itself. Jason directed his men towards the heat signatures.

Bravo team moved forward. They found no other person, living or dead between them and the room with the three heat signatures. Before they turned the last corner, Jason brought his team to a halt. “Something’s not right here.”

Ray nodded, and Sonny confirmed.

“You thinking ambush, Boss?” Ray asked, as he stayed vigilant.

“I’m not sure what to think.” Jason rubbed his forehead. “They had to have heard the breach, the gunfight, but they haven’t moved an inch from that room. Why not?”

“We need to see what’s going on in there.” Ray glanced over at Brock. “You brought your gadgets?”

Brock smiled. “New optic microfiber camera.” He pulled a thin looking cable out of a side pocket. With ease, he attached it to the cam unit on his arm, and they looked down at a picture of themselves.

“How long is that?” Jason eyed the cable.

“A meter.” Brock answered.

“Long enough.” Jason keyed his comms. “Bravo one to TOC. Be advised, slight change of plans.” He quickly explained what they were going to do, and then he and Brock moved towards the door. Ray, Trent and Sonny covered their backs.

Brock inserted the cable underneath the door and wiggled it around to get the perfect position. They stared down at the tiny screen. The room held the minimum pieces of furniture. They could make out three men. All were seated around a table and appeared to be playing some sort of card came. They had no weapons in sight. That made Brock angry and he huffed in annoyance.

“Check for tripwires, explosives,” Jason whispered.

Brock moved the camera around. “All clear,” he declared after a few minutes.

Jason nodded, tapped Brock on the shoulder, and the two men moved back. He shared what they had seen with the rest of the men.

“Ash not in there?” Trent gripped his assault rifle tight.

Jason shook his head. “Doesn’t look like that.”

“I don’t like this, Boss.”

“I don’t like it either, Sonny.” Jason looked at his team. “Let’s do this. If Ash is not in there, hopefully whoever those men are, they’ll be able to tell us where he is.”

“Roger that, Boss,” the team replied.

The unit moved forward. Sonny used his own brute force to kick the door in and the team of five smoothly entered the room. The three men were startled, nearly jumping out of their skins as Bravo team entered the room. They gave no resistance, and within seconds, they had all three men on the floor tied up with zip ties.

“Bravo one to TOC, passed Cary. Target not on site.” Jason sighed.

_“Copy, Bravo one. Checkpoint Lott Cary passed. Any information on where the target is?”_

“Finding out. Will keep you posted.” Jason turned his attention back to the room.

“They’re playing poker.” Sonny picked up some of the chips and let them drop from his hand. He growled.

Jason yanked the youngest looking man to his feet. “Who are you, what are you doing here, and where the fuck is Ash Spenser?”

The man, aged between twenty and twenty-five, swallowed hard. “Uhm.” He shook his head.

“Speak!” Jason yanked his arm.

“Playing poker.” The man finally got the words out.

Jason managed not to roll his eyes. “Who are you?” His grip on the man’s bicep tightened.

“Felix, Felix Petersen.”

“Where is Ash Spenser?”

A blank look appeared on the man’s face. He shook his head. “I don’t know who that is? What is the American military doing here in Liberia?” The man seemed to pull himself together when he realized they weren’t going to shoot him.

“And why is a cocky American like yourself playing poker in Liberia?” Sonny snapped back.

“It’s a free country.” The man pushed out his chest.

Sonny laughed. “Yes, because America isn’t free. Fucking dumbass.” He pushed past them. He went on to focus his attention on the second man. Trent questioned the third guy.

“Boss.” Ray caught Jason’s attention, and Jason shoved the man towards Brock. “What do you have, Ray?”

“What do you hear?”

Jason frowned. “Nothing.”

“Bravo support one and two are right outside that door.” Ray indicated the closed door.

Jason cocked his head. “This room.”

“Sound proof. That’s why they didn’t hear what was going on. They couldn’t.”

“Fuck.” Jason looked around. He had no idea why Ash Spenser would have a room in the middle of his house that was sound proof. What was the purpose? He needed answers, and he needed them now.

“Where the fuck is Ash Spenser!” He yelled.

“Are you Haynes?” The oldest of the men spoke up. He had a heavy British accent.

“Hayes,” Jason responded. “What do you know? What’s going on here?”

The man stared at his two companions. He looked back at Jason. “Have you counted the chips on the table?”

Jason frowned, but took the man and led him to the table. “How much?” He then noted the denomination of the chips. He picked one up. “Isn’t this supposed to be a plague?” He held the chip between his fingers. The value was fifty-thousand dollars. The color was silver. He picked up a turquoise one and let it fall. Denomination of that one was one-hundred-thousand dollars.

“It carries better.” The British man explained. “On this table, you’re looking at twenty million dollars.”

Jason decided it was easier to nod.

The Englishman continued. “We are a small private club that is bored out of our minds. So we travel the world. Place extreme amounts on poker and move on. We normally acquire a house where we won’t be disturbed. We pay the owner to leave us for as long as it takes the game to end, and then we leave.”

“How did you end up here?”

“We were referred by a friend. We met the owner two days ago. He gave us the keys and told us to enjoy ourselves. He did say that a friend might show up by the name of Haynes, sorry, Hayes, and that he couldn’t get hold of you to tell you he won’t be here. He also said to tell you that you’re too late. That he has won.”

Jason roared, and slammed the man into the wall. He had him by the throat, and squeezed. The man turned red in the face, his eyes bulged, his lips turned blue. He clawed at Jason’s hands and arms, but Jason didn’t feel a thing.

He got tackled from the side, and he lost his grip on the man. Jason fell to the floor. He tried to get up, but was pinned down. Someone screamed his name, his ears rang. He didn’t understand the words. He was going to kill Ash Spenser with his bare fucking hands. It didn’t matter to him that the man before him wasn’t Ash Spenser.

“Jason! Come on man, Jason!!” Sonny held his team leader by the shoulders and tried to shake him out of whatever trance he found himself in. He could hear Trent at his back. His brother sounded concerned. For a moment, he wondered if Jason had managed to kill the man. “Jason!” He yelled again. He sighed in relief when Jason’s eyes focused on him. “You all right, Boss?” Sonny kept his weight on Jason. Not releasing the hold he had on him.

Jason nodded. He was short of breath; his whole body shook, and then the man’s words came back. “Let me go.” He shoved Sonny. Luckily, something in his voice made Sonny move away, and Jason reached for his comms. “TOC, Clay is in danger. Get to him, guard him. Ash is there!”

Jason released his comms and looked on at the shocked faces of his teammates. “We’ve been played. Ash isn’t here. He’s at the base. He’s going to kill Spenser.”

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Joint Expeditionary Base–Little Creek**

**Clay’s room**

“On your knees.”

Clay shook his head. He would not get on his knees. Never again would he be forced on them. He sat on the ground, his back against the wall, Adam’s lifeless body cradled in his arms. He’d been too late. Another reminder of how useless he was.

“I will not repeat myself, boy. Get. On. Your. Fucking. Knees!” Ash Spenser screamed at the top of his voice. His face, cherry red in anger, veins visible on the sides of his neck.

The alarm system blared in the background, and he knew he didn’t have much time to do what he came here to do and get out. He glanced at the lifeless figure of a man he once called his friend. He and Adam Seaver had come through BUDS together. They had even made it through Green Team together. Now, Adam was dead on the floor because of the piece of garbage that Ash was supposed to call his son. Clay was supposed to die. Adam wasn’t supposed to give his life up for Clay.

“You’re fucking pathetic, boy. Look what you did. Adam’s blood is literally on your hands. You killed him. You killed him.” Ash closed the distance between himself and Clay. “You have no right to hold him, let him go. Don’t you dare touch him!” Ash grabbed hold of Adam’s leg and pulled hard. “Let go!” He shouted again, as Clay continued to hold onto Adam’s torso.

A loud bang sounded at the door, and Ash spun around. It seemed like his time was up. He sneered at Clay. His so-called-son remained seated on the floor with a vacant expression in his eyes. He couldn’t believe that Clay ever thought he would amount to anything. Definitely not a Tier One Operator. He was not worthy of being called a SEAL. At least now, everyone would see Clay for what he truly was. A fucking useless piece of shit. Parwaiz was wrong, Clay couldn’t even get it right to be a fuck-toy. A pet, that’s what Parwaiz’d called him.

“Get on your fucking knees, boy. You have no right to live. No right at all. How many innocent people got killed because of you? You couldn’t even succeed in being a fucking human pet! You deserve to die. You deserve to be put down like the dog you are. Let go of Adam’s body. Get on your knees and crawl over here like the fucking animal you are. Let me rid the world of you. You’re a fucking useless dog.” Ash laughed. “And you thought you could erase my footsteps. You’ve got nothing on me, boy. You and your fucking Bravo team are nothing. Nothing!” Ash paced the room. He covered his head with his hands, turned, and came to a halt in front of Clay again.

“I nearly forgot to tell you.” He hunkered down to make sure he was at eye level with Clay. “They’re dead. They are all dead. Bravo team is no more, Clay. You. Killed. Them. You. Have. Their. Blood. On. Your. Hands!” Ash jumped to his feet and did a little dance. He didn’t see the look that passed over Clay’s face.

“What do you say, boy? You want to join them? I’m more than willing to help you. Just let go of Adam’s body and crawl over to me, and I’ll make sure you’re reunited with your team. What did you call them, Clay? Your family?”

Ash turned away from Clay as another bang sounded at the door. He paled when he saw the blade of an axe sticking out of the wood. His time was running out. He had to kill Clay, but he first had to move Adam’s body. He had to get the stage set. They had to believe that he was the victim here. They would believe that. He was a Tier One Operator. What he said was true.

Movement at his back had him turn around. His smile threatened to fade from his face. “You won’t be able to pull that trigger, boy. You’re not able to make a single shot to save your own life. But I’ll tell you what. I will stand still so that you can shoot me. I’ll let you prove to yourself that you can’t kill me to save your own skin. And then after you’ve winged me, I will kill you. A single bullet will bring your pathetic excuse of a life to an end. What do you say? Give it a shot?” He laughed at his own joke.

Ash watched as Clay raised his arm that held Adam’s pistol. He frowned at the sight. Where he thought Clay would tremble, his so-called son’s hands were dead steady. He caught Clay’s gaze on him, and Ash realized he’d made a mistake. “I’m still better than you, boy!” He screamed and pulled the trigger.

Two shots rang out and two bodies fell to the floor as the door gave way underneath the axe. Bodies poured through the gap.

“I need a doctor in here!” Eric shouted as he made his way over to Clay. He reached out and felt for a pulse.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Joint Expeditionary Base–Little Creek**

**Morgue: 2 Days after the attack**

Jason, with the rest of Bravo, as well as Alpha team, stood shoulder to shoulder around the open drawer that held their own. They all carried guilt. It didn’t matter that none of them could’ve predicted that something like this would have happened. It didn’t matter that they weren’t even in the country when the shit hit the fan. They still felt responsible.

A shuffle behind them had Jason turn around. As the man’s knees gave way, he and Trent reached out in time and caught him.

“Clay.” Jason lowered their rookie to the floor.

“I’m sorry.” Clay trembled from head to toe. He was as white as a sheet. Sweat dripped from his brow and his breathing labored.

“You’re not supposed to be out of bed.” Jason ignored the apology for now. He watched as Trent examined Clay’s newest injury. “He’s bleeding.” His eyes met Trent’s.

“I see that. We need to get him back to his room.” Trent pulled his own shirt over his head, balled it up, and pressed it hard against Clay’s side. “Call Doc.” Trent looked at Ray.

“Stop.” Clay tried to push Trent’s hands away from his wound. “Stop.” He tried again when he realized that Trent had ignored him.

“Is it serious?” Sonny asked, as he kneeled next to Clay and placed his younger brother’s head in his lap.

“He’s losing blood. I don’t like it,” Trent explained. He looked around. He needed to get a better look at the wound. “Get him on top.” He indicated to one of the autopsy tables.

“Seriously?” Sonny shivered, but at the same time, he together with Brock, gently picked Clay up and placed him on the exam table.

“Doc is not answering.” Ray was worried.

“Get a gurney or a stretcher,” Trent ordered.

Alpha team rushed off.

He looked around and spotted the telephone on a side desk. “See if you can get through on the landline. Let them page Doc.”

He couldn’t believe that Clay came all the way over here. The base’s morgue was separate from the hospital and at least two klicks away. Clay had walked over here on his bare feet. When their brother was better, he was going to let Jason make Clay run hills. Lots and lots of hills.

“Clay, Clay. Look at me.” Trent gently tapped Clay’s cheek with his hand. He didn’t like the fact that Clay was almost totally unresponsive. “Open your eyes. Look at me,” he ordered again. He wished he had his medical kit with him even as he took Clay’s wrist between his fingers.

“Keep pressure on this.” He indicated for Brock to take over for him as he stepped away from the table and started rummaging around in the office.

“What are you looking for?” Jason asked. He didn’t like the fact that Trent appeared almost panicked.

Trent rumbled off what he was looking for, and both Sonny and Jason started searching with him.

“Found Doc,” Ray reported. “He’s on his way.”

“Finally.” Trent found what he was looking for in one of the supply cabinets, and returned to Clay’s side. With terse instructions, he got an IV running and noted down Clay’s BP on his arm with a marker.

“I’m sorry,” Clay whispered and Jason leaned over him.

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for.” He placed his hand on Clay’s head and ran his fingers through Clay’s hair.

“I’m sorry,” Clay repeated again. It was as if he didn’t see Jason as he stood next to him.

Jason followed Clay’s line of sight and cursed. The drawer with Adams’ body stood open. “Ray, close that up.” Jason moved his body so that he blocked Clay’s view of the open drawer.

“No!” Clay bucked up and yelled as pain ripped through his side.

More than one pair of hands pushed him back against the table. “Keep still, Clay.” Jason tried to calm the distraught man down, but Clay kept on fighting them. He punched, bucked up from the table, tried to twist out of their hands and slither off the table.

“Keep him still,” Trent barked as he managed to get Clay’s wrists captured between his hands and held them above Clay’s head. The shirt he used to try and stop the bleeding now decorated the floor, while blood oozed out of Clay’s wound. “Come on, Clay, calm down. We’re not going to harm you. Keep still,” Trent tried again but with no luck.

Jason grabbed Clay’s shoulders and shook him hard. “Damn it, Clay lay still!” he yelled. He hated doing it, but Clay was making his own injury worse. “What the fuck is taking Doc so long?” Jason bellowed over his shoulder. “Clay, Clay!” Jason shook him again. “Come on, Kid, snap out of this. You need to calm down. We don’t want to hurt you.”

Clay’s blood curdling screams filled the room, and he once again tried to get himself free. He didn’t want to be here. He didn’t even know where _here_ was. All that he could see was Adam’s body as the man slumped to the floor in front of him. Clay had managed to catch him in time, but he wasn’t in time to save his life. Adam had died because of him. Ash was right, he didn’t deserve to be called a SEAL. He didn’t deserve to be alive.

“Doc!”

Jason glanced over his shoulder when he heard Sonny’s exclamation. “About time, Doc.” He pressed down on Clay as the kid bucked up for the umpteenth time.

Doc didn’t reply, instead he uncapped a syringe, and without blinking, he jammed it in Clay’s thigh. The result was almost instantaneous as Clay went limp and his eyes closed. All of Bravo kept their hold over him for a few seconds before they finally stepped back.

“What the fuck!” Sonny turned to hit a wall, but was stopped by Brock.

Ray appeared stunned while Jason scowled.

Trent had his hands on Clay’s side. Blood seeped through his fingers. “He’s hemorrhaging, Doc.”

Doc frowned as he examined Clay’s wound. Clay was not supposed to be bleeding like this. He had been stable for the past twenty-four hours, with no postoperative bleeding present. For him to start bleeding now, meant something was wrong. “Let’s get him back to the hospital.”

Doc stood to the side as Derek and Full Metal came running with a stretcher. He reached for the field kit he’d brought, and with steady hands, he covered the wound and then wrapped gauze around Clay’s waist. Within seconds, Clay was placed on the stretcher and lifted up. Without missing a step, Bravo team took over and started running back to the hospital. Doc was thankful for the fact that he ran with them on a daily basis, it meant that he could keep up.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Clay’s room: 12 Hours later**

“I don’t like it, Boss.” Brock frowned at the restraints that covered Clay’s wrists. “Why is it necessary? It’s not as if he’s going anywhere. Not the way Doc’s got him drugged up.”

Jason felt exactly the same. He’d had the same conversation with Doc, and he was about to give Brock the same answer he received. “It’s for his own safety.” He didn’t need to turn to look at Brock to know that their K9 handler glared at him.

“Does Doc know what caused the bleeding?” Brock asked, when he realized Jason was not going to look at him.

“The anticoagulants they gave him during surgery and he’d managed to tear some of his stitches out.” Jason replied.

“It’s sorted out then? Not going to happen again?”

“No. Doc said it won’t happen again.” Jason made his way over to the bed when Clay stirred.

He knew that Clay wouldn’t be waking up soon, but the kid continued to be restless. If they talked to him, he calmed down. Unfortunately, it didn’t last very long. Doc didn’t want to increase the dosage that kept him unconscious, but he also wasn’t willing to stop it completely. It didn’t make sense.

Jason placed his hand over Clay’s and squeezed it softly. “You’re safe. We’ve got you.” He smiled when the young man sighed and settled down.

“Have you spoken to NCIS?” Brock moved around Clay’s bed, and scratched Cerberus’ ears where he had made himself at home at Clay’s feet. Their pup huffed at him, but didn’t even bother to open his eyes.

Jason sighed. “Yeah. They ruled Clay’s actions as justified. There will be no charges against him.”

Clay had managed to kill Ash with a perfect headshot. It was the one thing they all liked about the kid. He always took head shots, and he never missed. Ash’s shot had entered into Clay’s side where the bullet bounced around before it exited at the back. Doc had said that the damage could’ve been much worse. They had something to be grateful for. Jason frowned.

“What’s bothering you?”

Jason stared at Brock. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m beyond happy that Ash Spenser is dead, but at the same time, I’m gutted that he isn’t alive to stand trial for what he did.” He shrugged. “NCIS is going to make a recommendation to SECNAV to have him stripped of his rank and medals posthumously.”

“Sounds good to me.” Jason didn’t reply, and Brock frowned. “You disagree?”

“No, not that.” Jason looked at Clay. “What do you think Clay’s reaction will be when he finds out about it?”

Brock’s shoulder sagged. “He’s going to feel it’s his fault.”

“Exactly.” A sigh escaped from Jason’s lips. “There’s some days that I wish that Ash Spenser had never been born, but then it would mean that Clay would’ve been lost to us as well. And although we’ve known him for such a short time, I can’t think how life would’ve been without him. Especially at this time in all of our lives.”

“I get what you mean, Boss.” He stared at Clay. “It’s something that we’re going to have to remind him about when he’s back on his feet.”

“I agree. I see some tough love, but blended with loads of patience for all of us in our future.” Jason shifted his gaze to Brock. “We’re not giving up on him, Brock.”

“That thought never crossed my mind, and I can promise you, it has never crossed any of the other guys’ minds either. Our brother is stuck with us for as long as we’re alive.”

Jason couldn’t disagree with that statement. Now they only had to get Clay to believe it as well.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

**Base Hospital**

**Clay’s room: 2 Weeks later**

“I’m not going to repeat myself again, Spenser. Get up from that bed and do it now.” Jason crossed his arms over his chest. Clay had sunk into a deep funk and they’d been not able to get him out of it. He refused to talk to anyone. That included Doc and Doctor Kruger. He barely ate and he slept even less. He looked like a raccoon with dark black circles beneath his eyes. Now he also refused to attend his physical therapy and his therapist, Lucas had turned to Jason and the team for help.

Clay ignored him and turned his head away to stare at the wall. He wished they would leave him alone. He wished they would realize that he didn’t want them around him. They should get with the program and fuck off. It was what he planned on doing the moment he got released.

Jason looked at the guys that stood next to him. It seemed like they’d reached the point they’d all dreaded. They’d spoken to both Trent and Doc about it. Neither had liked the option, but neither had any other idea on how to proceed from here. For a second Jason, closed his eyes and then moved forward. He grabbed the cover from Clay’s bed and yanked it down. It left the kid in only a T-shirt and shorts. Before Clay could comprehend what was going on, Jason had a hard grip on his arm and pulled him up.

“Get up.”

Clay started to struggle. He yanked back, but Jason’s grip on his arm stayed strong. He tried to push at Jason, but Jason blocked his moves.

“No,” Clay’s voice was barely audible.

He turned and tried to kick, but a second pair of hands took hold of him. They didn’t try to pin him down, but instead helped Jason pull him off the bed. Clay went limp, let his weight drag him to the floor.

Jason grabbed Clay by the forearms and took his weight as he refused to let Clay slip to the floor. “You either walk on your own, or I will carry your ass to where it needs to be, but hear me, Spenser, you will go to physical therapy.”

Clay remained limp and refused to answer.

“Never took you for a coward.” Trent moved next to Jason. “I’ve seen what you can do in the field. I had insight into your scores during Green Team training. I know you’ve beaten Jason’s scores. I know you did some of those while you were injured, but now you want to quit.”

Jason nodded over Clay’s head. He’d felt how Clay had tensed up at Trent’s words. They wanted to get the kid angry. They wanted him to react. They were there to catch him, he needed to let go without giving up.

“I agree with Trent.” Brock moved closer. “I didn’t think you had it in you to quit. It seems like we were wrong. It’s a good thing that Brian died in that accident. He would’ve been so disappointed in you right now.”

Clay’s knees locked. His body trembled, but he remained quiet.

“I think Stella saw you for what you really are.” Ray came from the other side. “A person that’s afraid to face his own fears. One that would rather give up than try once more. It’s no wonder she dumped your ass.”

They watched as Clay balled his fists. His body shook and none of them thought he could get paler than he already was. It seemed that they all got it wrong.

Sonny closed his eyes for a second. He knew, they knew, that their words were hurting Clay. They had no choice, they had to get him to react. To show them that he wanted to live. “Adam died saving your life. It seems like he died in vain. You don’t give a damn that he offered himself up for you. A good man could’ve been alive and breathing today.”

Clay shook his head. His hands flexed open and shut. His breathing sped up. He lifted up on his toes and then back down.

Jason shook Clay once. Clay glanced up at him. “You that desperate to prove that Ash was right? To prove that you’re indeed a chip off the old block? That you’re not worthy to be called a SEAL?”

“NO!” Clay roared. He ripped his arms from Jason’s grip and took a swing at Jason’s head. “NO!” he bellowed as he launched himself forward and attacked Jason with everything he had in him. He missed, but it didn’t make him give up. He shoved at his team leader. Both his hands slammed hard into Jason’s chest. It made the bigger man stumble backwards. Clay raised his fist, but the punch was blocked. He tried again, but didn’t succeed and it fueled his anger.

Jason let Clay come at him again and again. Not once did he try and attack Clay, instead he blocked the punches as well as he could. He would sport an interesting number of bruises, but it would be worthwhile if it helped. “That all you have, Kid?” Jason goaded Clay, and managed to not fall over his own feet as a wicked right hook came out of nowhere and nearly made him land on his own ass. His jaw throbbed, and Jason hoped that all of his teeth were still in his mouth.

Clay screamed. They heard the frustration and the anguish in his voice as he finally gave in. His knees gave way, and he would’ve tumbled to the floor if it wasn’t for five pairs of hands that all reached up to him simultaneously and kept him from landing on the floor.

“I am not Ash. I am not like him! I am not!”

Jason pulled Clay to his chest and held him tight even as the younger man struggled. “We’ve got you, Kid. We’ve got you.” He repeated the words again and would continue to do so for as long as what was necessary.

The rest of the team huddled around them. Each one had a hand on Clay’s shoulders, his back, or the back of his head. They had their kid brother, and they were not letting go.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Clay’s Apartment: 1 Month later**

“Easy,” Sonny murmured as he lowered Clay onto the couch.

He winced as Clay slumped to the side. Luckily, the younger man gave no indication that he hurt himself and Sonny pulled him fully onto the couch. Sonny made sure Clay was on his side and reached for the blanket that covered the back of the couch. He covered Clay and then stepped back. Sonny turned around when he heard someone snicker behind him.

“What are you laughing at?” Sonny asked, as he saw Brock behind him with a grin still plastered on his face. His brother had collected him and Clay from the bar they went to. Sonny had called Brock for a lift to Clay’s apartment when he realized that neither one of them were in any condition to drive.

“Never thought I’d see the day when Sonny Quinn got domesticated.” Brock slapped his brother on the shoulder. “It’s a good look on you, brother.” He ducked out of reach as Sonny took a swing at him.

“You know those words are fighting words, Brock.” Sonny growled, but he didn’t even attempt to go after Brock.

“I know.” He looked at Sonny. “Trent is going to kick your ass.”

It was Sonny’s turn to grin. “He’ll have to catch me first.” He walked over to the side chair and flopped down.

“You do realize he’s the one responsible for keeping you alive in the field?” Brock made his way over to the refrigerator and removed two bottles of water. He threw one to Sonny and took a swig from his own.

“Trent won’t let me die.” Sonny indicated the water in his hand. “Pass me another.” He caught the bottle and placed it next to Clay on the floor.

Brock shrugged. “True, but he’ll find a way to make your life miserable.”

“I’ll put the kid on him.” Sonny drank his own water. When Clay stirred, he moved closer again. He leaned over and touched Clay’s shoulder. “You okay? You wanna hurl?” he asked as Clay opened his eyes, blinked a few times and then stared at him.

“I’m fine.”

Sonny rolled his eyes. “You’re not fine, Kid, but we’ll get you there.” He moved to his seat. “Can’t believe he’s so drunk. He only had two shots of tequila and two beers.”

Brock cocked his head. “Sonny, you do realize that it’s been more than a year since Clay had any alcohol?”

“Huh. Didn’t think about that. Then we’ll have to work on his tolerance levels.” Sonny grinned. “That means more drinking time for me.”

“I thought we were all going out this weekend?” Brock wondered why Sonny decided to take Clay out drinking in the middle of the week.

“The Kid has been cooped up here for the last week. He was going stir-crazy, I had to get him out. And it worked. He actually talked to me.”

“That’s good.” Brock didn’t inquire as to what they talked about. If Clay wanted the rest of the team to know, he would tell them himself. “Trent is really going to kill you.” Brock finished his water. “You two gonna be all right?”

“Yeah, we’ll be fine. I’ll make sure he doesn’t want to toss his cookies. Then I’ll drag him to his bed. Or maybe I’ll leave him here and take the bed. You know this couch of his is very comfortable, but hell man, I am taller than the couch, and I hate it when my feet stick over the side.”

“I hear you, brother.” Brock got to his feet. “I need to head back home. Remember, we’re reporting tomorrow at 0800.”

“We’ll be there.” Sonny swallowed the last of his water and got to his feet. He leaned over Clay again and pulled him up by his arm. When his pull wasn’t resisted, he pulled Clay up into a seated position.

“Let’s get you to bed, pretty boy.” He hauled Clay to his feet, and held him steady when Clay’s knees wobbled. “Lock those knees, Clay, or both of us are going to land on the floor.”

Sonny waited patiently for Clay to straighten his knees and then he moved his friend to the bedroom. Sonny was aware that Brock stayed behind him in case he needed help, but the help was not necessary. He placed Clay on the bed, removed his shoes and covered him up with another blanket.

“I’m here if you need me, just shout.” He smiled at the small nod he received.

Sonny turned away and walked with Brock to the door.

“Thanks for picking us up.” Sonny fist bumped his team mate.

“Any time, brother.” Brock grinned. “You know he’s gonna have a hangover tomorrow, and Jason is going to know it right away.”

Sonny grinned. “I know. I’m prepared to run hills.”

Brock shook his head. “See you tomorrow.”

“See you.”

When Brock exited the apartment, Sonny locked the door and made his way over to the couch. He sat down heavily, and dragged his hand over his face and through his hair. He needed to trim his beard again. Sonny kicked off his own shoes and laid down. He took the remote and switched on the television set. He was tired, but knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep. Not yet in any case. Clay still suffered from intense nightmares. Sonny knew he’d have to get up at least two times before Clay would finally settle down for the night, and only then would he himself get some rest.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

Clay turned on his side and hissed at the pull he experienced in the recently healed wound. He looked around blearily and realized he was in his bedroom. He heard the television playing softly in the sitting room and knew Sonny was around.

Not comfortable on his side, he slowly turned on his back. Clay placed his hands behind his head and stared at the dimly lit ceiling. The light in the room was switched off, but the hall light was on. Clay rolled his eyes. It was another thing that bothered him. He couldn’t sleep in the dark. At least he didn’t need the light in the room to be on any longer. The light in the hallway was enough. Doctor Kruger was impressed with his progress. He himself, not so much.

He was still a fucking mess. Clay grinned when he had told Sonny he was a mess. Sonny had glared at him, and with his Texan drawl, told him that at least he was a functioning fucking mess, just like the rest of them. It once again made Clay realize that although his team, his brothers, hadn’t experienced what he had, they still got what he had went through. It made him realize that he truly wasn’t alone. They had his back – always.

Clay turned his head and smiled when he noticed Brian seated at the foot of his bed. “You getting tired of the sun and sand?”

Brian smiled. “You forgetting that’s it your safe place and not mine?”

Clay smiled back. “Are you saying _your_ safe place is _my_ bedroom?”

“No.” Brian laughed as he shook his head. “But I am saying that you’re feeling safe here where you are without needing to retreat to your safe place.”

“You’re right.”

“I’m always right.” Brian got to his feet.

“Are you leaving?” Clay pushed himself onto his elbows. His throat closed up and he could feel the panic building up from the inside.

“Never, Clay.” Brian rested his hand on Clay’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

“For what?” Clay asked confused.

“For keeping your promise.”

Clay shook his head. “I’m not sure what promise you’re referring to.”

“When you promised me that you won’t give up.”

“When you didn’t abandon me. When you told me my team would not abandon me.” Clay remembered. He shivered at the thoughts of what he’d gone through.

“Your family has you, Clay. They won’t let you fail. They won’t let you fall. You can count on them, brother. Always.”

“Brian.” Clay looked up. “Thank you for keeping me safe. For keeping me sane.”

Brian smiled. “Until we meet again, brother.” He faded away.

Clay sighed. When he glanced up, Sonny stood in the door.

“I’m going to be all right. It may take a while, but I’ll get there,” he said with confidence.

“You bet your ass you’re going to be all right, Pretty boy. We won’t let you be anything else except all right.” Sonny removed his toothpick from his mouth. “It’s a real honor to be your brother, Clay.”

Sonny tossed a bottle of water to Clay, which the younger man managed to catch. “Drink all of that. Jason is going to rip your ass for being hungover tomorrow.” He laughed when Clay groaned. “Don’t worry, Kid, I’ll run the hills with you.”

“You better.” Clay smiled, and then he became serious. “I won’t fail.”

“We’ll never quit.” He looked at his younger brother. “Get some sleep, Kid. Tomorrow is almost upon us.”

“Night, Sonny.” Clay laid down, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep. For the first time in more than a year, he slept through the night, not waking up once. He was at peace.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Pakistan: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province: Peshawar**

**Parwaiz Residence**

**4 Months later**

Jansher’s high heels clicked on the tiles beneath his feet as he made his way across the large front parlor. He pulled his wig from his head and tossed it to the side. He was in a foul mood. Not even being dressed in his favorite pair of high heels made him feel better. Since he first had a taste of that American, he was spoiled. No one was good enough.

He peered down at the blood beneath his nails and grimaced at the sight. He’d lost his temper tonight, and instead of having someone to torture for hours on end, it had ended in less than thirty minutes. It meant he would have to get another plaything. Jansher smiled. Maybe he should try and find the blond again. He would not make the mistake his uncle made. He would make sure that no one ever found the American again.

Movement behind him made him turn. “No.” He shook his head in disbelief.

Sonny moved forward. “Remember us?” He asked with a grin.

Jansher took a step backwards. He tripped over the bottom step and landed on his ass.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Brock held Cerberus’ leash tight in his hand.

“Please.” Jansher shook from head to toe.

“He speaks English.” Trent moved in next to Sonny.

“Indeed he does,” Jason spoke up, as he took his position next to Brock. The four men all watched the pathetic figure on the floor in front of them. The wet patch between his legs and the stench told them he’d pissed himself.

“You know why we’re here?” Jason stepped closer.

Jansher shook his head.

Sonny laughed. “We’re not falling for the innocent look again.”

Jansher continued to shake his head. “I don’t know. I did nothing wrong. I cooperated. I told you what you wanted to know.”

Jason agreed. “Yes, you did. At that stage, you did tell us what we wanted to know.” He hunkered down in front of the young man. “But then there were also a few other things you didn’t tell us.”

Jansher shook his head. “No. No.”

“Don’t lie to us, it’s not a good thing to do.” Brock with a growling Cerberus came forward.

“No, no.” Jansher panicked. He tried to move away, but found that his arms and legs refused to obey his commands.

The men in front of him moved closer. His back arched as he tried to get away from them. They grew in statue getting bigger and bigger and towered over him. Red dots appeared all over his body. They circled his face, his chest even lower. He would’ve pissed himself if he was able to.

Jason leaned forward. “We’re coming for you.”

“NA!” Jansher screamed, and twisted around.

With a thud he landed on the floor. His sheets tangled around his legs. He gasped for air as he realized he was in his bedroom. He wasn’t dead. It was only a dream. Bile rose up in his throat and he managed to crawl away from his bed before he lost the content he had in his stomach. He continued to heave until there was nothing left in his stomach.

Jansher’s arms gave way and he landed heavily on his side. He trembled from head to toe. He stayed in position until his breathing finally evened out. Never before in his life, had he experienced such a nightmare. It felt so real. He managed to give a weak laugh as he pushed himself onto his feet. It had to be because he had thought about that blond American. Jansher shook his head. Maybe it would be for the best to forget about him for a while. Just for now, and then he would find a way to get the American back to where he belonged.

He needed something to calm his nerves. With bare feet, he made his way out of his room. At the top of the landing, he gazed out of the large window. The full moon shined so bright that he could see his own reflection in the window pane. He looked down. A red spot appeared on his chest.

He frowned. He took his finger and placed it on the dot. It moved. He moved his finger with it. It disappeared, and Jansher frowned. He had no idea what it was, or where it went to.

Then he remembered his dream, and he found himself looking at the window again. The red dot sat right between his eyes.

Jansher tried to move, but it was too late. He didn’t even hear the first, or the second shot, that came through the window and took his life. One second, he was breathing, the next he was dead.

The neighborhood remained quiet as the body fell with a thud to the floor. Across the street two figures faded back into the night. Their mission had been completed.

****

**Small Fandoms Bang Round 8**

**Joint Expeditionary Base–Little Creek**

**Bravo Team Cages: 1 year after rescue**

“I say the Kid owes us a case of beer.” Sonny pulled his toothpick from his mouth and pointed it at Clay. He laughed when he saw the expression on Clay’s face.

Clay looked at him confused. “For what, Sonny? Because if you’re saying it’s because I beat your ass, you’ve got it wrong. _You’re_ the one who owes me a case of beer.”

Jason shook his head. “Sonny’s right, Kid. You owe us.”

“What the fuck?” Clay stared at Jason, as if his team lead has lost it. He turned when he heard Ray laughing at his back.

Ray shook his head. “Sorry, Poster boy, I’m with them.” Ray slapped Clay on the shoulder and moved towards his own cage.

“You’re crazy. You’re all fucking crazy. I don’t owe you any beer. And just because you can’t tell me why I owe you a case of beer, all of you owe _me_ a case of beer.”

Cerberus barked and made his way over to Clay. He knew what was going on, but he would still stand with Clay. Clay was the pup in the pack. And someone had to have the pup’s back.

“Thank you, Cerb.” Clay bent down and scratched Cerberus’ ears. The dog licked his face, and Clay smiled.

“You do know he doesn’t have any money. You’re still going to need to pay for the beer.” Brock clicked his fingers for Cerberus to join him, but rolled his eyes as Cerberus ignored him. He didn’t mind that Cerberus picked Clay’s side.

“I thought Doc gave you the all clear?” Trent asked with a frown. He tried to place his hand on Clay’s forehead to feel for a fever and laughed when Clay swatted his hand away.

“He did. You know that. You were with me.” Clay glared at his team. He was missing something, but he had no idea what. He was finally cleared by Doc, by Doctor Kruger, by Trent, and for that matter by the whole of Bravo team. He was finally a full member of Bravo team again. A light went on.

“I’m not the new guy,” he said with a smile.

“Yeah, you are. First mission after being cleared by all parties equals a case of beer.” Sonny laughed.

“A case of beer!” Bravo team echoed.

Clay laughed. “A case of beer.” When Jason wanted to speak up, Clay interrupted him. “Yeah, Boss. I know. None of that microbrew crap infused with raspberry pumpkin spice.”

Jason nodded. “Clay.” He waited for their rookie to look at him. “It better be cold.”

“Yes, Boss.”

The team gathered around Clay and hugged him hard. “Welcome back, brother, welcome back.”

**THE END**


	22. Addendum

**Bacha bāzī: AFP Report 2016**

[ ](https://imgur.com/kHPyLtU)

(Photo by Martin Van Krogh 2012)

  


There’s a common saying in some parts of Afghanistan that states, _“women are for child-rearing, boys are for pleasure”_.

This bacha bāzī _practice_ is seen as a cultural practice and an ancient custom, although it was banned under the Taliban’s rule during the period 1996 – 2001. Unfortunately, this practice has been revived in recent years. It is supposedly widespread across southern and eastern Afghanistan’s rural Pashtun heartland, as well as across the northern countryside.

Human rights groups are of the opinion that tight gender segregation in Afghan society, with the lack of contact with women, have contributed to the spread of this practice.

According to the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) in 2014, stated factors like lawlessness, corruption, illiteracy, poverty, as well as the existence of armed groups have resulted in the spread of bacha bāzī.

Although Afghanistan’s criminal law prohibits rape and pederasty, there are no clear provisions on bacha bāzī.

The term bacha bāzī can be literally be translated into boy play. They are normally between the ages of 10 and 18 years old.

The most desirable age for dancing boys is 13 or 14 years-old. This means that to groom them, they are kidnapped, bought or rented at a much younger age.

Bachas (boys) are dressed as women, makeup included, with bells on their feet and used by men as dancers at events like private parties. They are often sexually exploited.

[ ](https://imgur.com/HNFlXpM)

These boys are kept by members of the elite, warlords and even politicians as a symbol of power.

Due to the group of men who partake in this practice, have the ‘right connections’, bribes are paid and they do not get punished.

These boys suffer from psychological trauma as a result of the sexual abuse they endure. The problem is that those victims in most instances grow up and have boy lovers of their own, creating a vicious cycle of abuse.

These boys suffer from stress, distrust, and hopelessness. They might grow up with feelings of revenge.

Since there are few services out there to recover the children or even rehabilitate the boys who was caught up in this abuse, it is nearly impossible to say what happens to those boys.

[ ](https://imgur.com/fenRVV2)


End file.
